DoD Wary Of Links Between China IT Sector And Military

WASHINGTON — China's military has benefited from closer ties to the nation's emerging information technology sector, according to an annual Pentagon report to Congress on Chinese military power.

The report released by the Defense Department on Monday (March 3) found that China's military electronics sector has become more tightly linked to its civilian economy. The linkage extends "into the global production and research and development chain," the report states.

"Information technology companies, including Huawei, Datang and Zhongxing maintain close ties to the [People's Liberation Army] and collaborate on research and development," the report found. "

"Commercial off-the-shelf technologies, such as computer network switches and routers increasingly provide the PLA with state-of-the-art telecommunications equipment."

If accurate, the finding means China has taken a page from the U.S. military, which has long maintained close ties with strategic U.S. technology industries.