China has moved to curb the use of telecommunications equipment from Finnish Nokia and Swedish Ericsson by ordering that their contracts be submitted to “black box” national security reviews conducted by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
The new requirement mandates that state buyers include detailed documentation on every system component and the share of local content, effectively raising barriers for foreign suppliers.
The timing heightens tensions in tech and supply chain diplomacy. For Nokia and Ericsson, this marks a meaningful escalation in China’s tightening control over which foreign vendors may operate in its critical telecom infrastructure. Some observers view this as part of Beijing’s broader push for technological sovereignty.
From a Scandinavian perspective, this will put additional pressure on Nordic telecom firms to reassess their China strategies. It may accelerate diversification of their markets and partnerships in Asia, including Southeast Asia, where regulatory environments differ and opportunities remain strong
