In June, it was reported that a round of bidding for a World Bank-led undersea communication cable project was effectively scuttled due to security concerns over a bid from Chinese firm HMN Technologies, formerly known as Huawei Marine Networks.
The project, known as the East Micronesia Cable system, is intended to facilitate communications between the Pacific island nations of Nauru, which is one of democratic Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies, Kiribati, which was a diplomatic ally of Taiwan until 2019, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The project also includes a planned connection to the U.S. territory of Guam, which houses major military installations.
