Europe faces tech crossroads: choose between us and china
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States, Brendan Carr, told the "Financial Times" that Europe will have to choose between American and Chinese technology, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence and satellite technology. He also warned against the Chinese alternative to Starlink.
An official from Donald Trump’s administration has urged European partners to strengthen collaboration with Elon Musk’s company. He emphasises the importance of united action among Western democracies in facing what he considers a serious and enduring threat. He explicitly states that he considers this the increasing influence of the Communist Party of China.
USA: Trump's official warns Europe
Carr, a long-standing ally of Musk whom Trump appointed to lead the communications agency, said, "If you're concerned about Starlink, just wait for the CCP's version, then you'll be really worried." He also accused the European Commission of being "protectionist" and having an "anti-American" attitude.
In response to the actions of US authorities, Brussels stated that it "always enforced and would continue to enforce laws fairly and without discrimination to all companies operating in the EU, in full compliance with global rules." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen does not rule out the "nuclear option," i.e., taxing American big techs, if the Trump administration continues to push for tariffs on European products.
Carr suggested that European telecommunications companies Nokia and Ericsson should move a larger portion of their production to the US, as both are faced with import tariffs introduced by Trump. They are the largest suppliers of mobile network infrastructure equipment in the US. He described the situation where Americans had no significant company competing in the telecommunications supplier market as a "mistake".
