Jul 15, 2020 - World

Pompeo announces visa restrictions on some Huawei employees

Photo: Andrew Harnik/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. will impose visa restrictions on certain employees of Chinese telecom Huawei and other companies that "provide material support to regimes engaging in human rights violations globally," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's latest escalation against Huawei, which U.S. intelligence officials view as a threat to national security due to its ties to the Chinese military, comes the day after the U.K. announced it will no longer allow the telecom to access its 5G network.

  • The U.K. decision was a big win for the Trump administration, which has sought to firewall Huawei from networks around the world while putting intense pressure on its closest ally to make such a move.
  • Pompeo commended the decision and announced he would visit the U.K. and Denmark, which has also banned Huawei from its 5G network, next week.

What he's saying: "The tide is turning," Pompeo said. "I think the work that's been done all across the world is now making clear to everyone that there is a real security risk."

  • "Now, every nation is simply asking the question, how do you do it?"
  • "What are the commercial impacts, how quickly can you move in that direction, and how do you ensure we have available, cost-effective solutions that don't subject our people to the risk that comes from having this infrastructure inside our country."

What to watch: In recent months, Beijing has met the Trump administration's embrace of reciprocity with a clear tit for tat. The Chinese government is likely to respond with corresponding restrictions of its own.

The big picture: Pompeo declined to answer when asked by a reporter whether he considers the Chinese government to be "evil," as he has labeled Iran, but stressed that China's human rights violations are the "stain of the century."

Go deeper

Axios
Jul 27, 2020 - World

U.S. consulate in Chengdu closes following Houston eviction

Police block people attempting to enter a road leading to the now-former U.S. Consulate, as the American flag has been lowered in Chengdu, China. Photo: Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images

Chinese officials announced they've lowered the American flag and taken over the U.S. consulate in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, per AFP.

The big picture: The closure marks a tit-for-tat move by Chinese authorities after the forced shuttering of China's consulate in Houston by U.S. officials. Chengdu is a secondary diplomatic outpost for the U.S. — much like Houston was for China.

Margaret Talev
24 mins ago - Health

Axios-Ipsos poll: Fear of voting

Data: Axios/Ipsos poll; Note: ±3.0% margin of error for the total sample; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans to worry about in-person voting — with nearly two in three seeing it as a large or moderate risk to their health — according to this week's installment of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: This could pose a significant disadvantage for Joe Biden and other Democratic candidates in November if the pattern holds — especially in states where high infection rates persist, or where there are significant hurdles to mail-in, absentee or early voting.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Sam Baker
25 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Trump: Coronavirus is "under control"

President Trump said in an interview with “Axios on HBO” that he thinks the coronavirus is as well-controlled in the U.S. as it can be, despite dramatic surges in new infections over the course of the summer and more than 150,000 American deaths.

  • “They are dying, that's true. And you have — it is what it is. But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it. This is a horrible plague,” he told Axios' Jonathan Swan.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow