RISE OF CHINESE 5G TECHNOLOGY COMPETITIVENESS AND GLOBAL TRENDS: IMPLICATIONS SRI LANKA’S NATIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

In the recent times, China has gained remarkable competitive advantage when it comes to the development of 5G technology. Chinese companies seem to dominate emerging the 5G technology market in the world. Highlighting threats to its National Security, the United States (US) fuels the prevent of use of technology from Chinese technology giants such as Huawei and ZTE in the core of galloping 5G networks. This dispute which would shape ties between Beijing and Washington is at a possibility of having huge global economic waves. In this context, the focus of this research lies on the national context of Sri Lanka on the need of adaptation of 5G networks despite the predicaments while identifying possibilities of encountering defined threats of the current economic wave of the country, the possibility of resulting a captivation in China’s Digital Belt and Road Initiative and loops of current disarmed cyber military capacity of Sri Lanka to tackle if posed a National Security threat. Therefore, the research focuses on the need of establishment of a firm cyber policy and cyber institution capacity building. To substantiate this research, it methodically incorporated research articles, books, and other relevant literature. Moreover, an interview with leading telecom experts to strengthen the study. These methodologies created an empirically grounded and contextually applicable argument in Sri Lanka's current socio-political context.