A concept picture of 5G chip Photo: VCG

Not long ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said anyone with a cell phone owns a "piece of Israel." The remark attracted international attention. Although intended to showcase Israel's technological achievements and to assert that mobile phones worldwide rely on Israeli technology — and that Israel would not be isolated from the international community — it unexpectedly triggered a longstanding worry among many people about how communications equipment and digital technologies have been diverted from their intended purposes. This anxiety didn't arise out of thin air; it stemmed from decades of systematic practice by the US and other Western countries, which have turned communications devices, seen as the key to connecting the world, into "weapons" to maintain digital hegemony.

The establishment of US digital hegemony began with its dominance of the global information and communications technology (ICT) ecosystem. On the one hand, this included a monopoly on hardware and standards. On the other, it involved control over software and data. If this data were integrated into a vast surveillance apparatus woven together by intelligence-sharing networks such as the Five Eyes, it would provide the US with unprecedented global situational awareness. In the eyes of this hegemon, communications equipment has become a weapon in external warfare.

Ironically, after building this massive "arsenal," the US has mastered the art of opinion warfare. Although it has struggled to extricate itself from the PRISM scandal, it has not backed down. Instead, it has mobilized a powerful propaganda machine to brand others as "digital threats." When Chinese tech companies such as Huawei expand internationally on the strength of their own innovation and technological prowess, "national security" becomes a catch-all excuse for unfounded accusations. This narrative of "the thief crying thief" is intended to conceal the US' own weaponization of digital communications equipment.

This digital "weapon" system has been skillfully deployed by the US both domestically and internationally. Internally, it serves as a tool to further the interests of particular groups within the US. Externally, it extends the long arm of hegemony and constrains alliances. 

US global crackdown on Huawei and ZTE is a prime example. This move is not based on definitive security evidence, but rather leverages the US' central position in global financial settlement and technical standards-setting systems to arbitrarily overstep national boundaries. Its essence is to contain technological competitors, maintain its technological edge in high-end sectors, and secure its hegemonic monopoly. 

In this sense, the anxiety surrounding the statement that a cell phone owns a "piece of Israel" is essentially a conditioned reflex to the US' long-standing and systemic digital hegemony. Now, however, the weaponization of digital communication devices and technologies is provoking a fierce backlash.

The first and most immediate cost is the collapse of global trust - what might be called the "Snowden Paradox." When the PRISM scandal revealed that the US itself was the world's largest surveillance power, any accusation it made about "foreign digital threats" instantly lost credibility. As the foundation of global digital trust crumbled, other countries - including US allies - were forced to reexamine their own data sovereignty and cybersecurity.

The second consequence is the accelerating arrival of a "digital iron curtain." Washington's behavior has intensified global concern over cyber and digital security, spurring movements toward "sovereign internets" and data localization. To safeguard their systems, many countries have built digital walls, severely undermining the original vision of a unified, open internet. The result may be a fractured and divided digital landscape that will slow the pace of innovation and progress for humankind.

Finally, the hegemon itself is trapped in an uncontrollable dilemma of entangled dependence. Economic globalization has deeply interwoven industrial and supply chains, creating mutual reliance. Despite efforts by the US and some Western countries to promote "decoupling" from China, absolute separation is unachievable - and would gravely damage their own technological ecosystems, competitiveness and innovation networks. Rather than containing China, such a strategy has accelerated China's drive for technological self-reliance and made other countries increasingly wary of aligning too closely with Washington. In an interconnected globalized system, any attempt to "weaponize" digital tools inevitably backfires and loses effectiveness.

Turning communication technologies into weapons and distorting innovation into a tool of dominance is a dangerous game. Yet the US, as the principal architect and driver behind this agenda, insists on binding technology to geopolitical rivalry - by monopolizing standards, controlling key components and casting a long shadow over global cybersecurity.

Against this backdrop, the rise of Chinese tech companies has a dual character. On the one hand, they have been stigmatized and unfairly suppressed under the hegemonic practices of the US; on the other, through relentless innovation and technological breakthroughs, they have forged an independent and controllable path, breaking through the old monopoly structures. By advocating openness, cooperation and mutual benefit, and opposing the use of technology to undermine other countries' security, China offers the world an alternative to the hegemonic model: a path toward a "trusted and open" digital future.

The pendulum of history will not remain forever on the side of hegemony. The international community must wake up and firmly resist the dangerous trend of politicizing and weaponizing communication technologies. We call for the establishment of a truly multilateral, democratic and transparent global digital governance system - one that restores technology to its original purpose of serving human development, turning digital boundaries into bridges of connection and cooperation rather than trenches of confrontation and surveillance. This is not only China's commitment, but should be a shared choice for all humanity.

The author is a senior expert in the communications industry. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn