Sprint競(jìng)購(gòu)大戰(zhàn)華為無(wú)辜中槍
????日本對(duì)美國(guó)第三大移動(dòng)運(yùn)營(yíng)商斯普林特(Sprint)的投標(biāo)遭到了美國(guó)許多愛(ài)國(guó)人士的抨擊,他們認(rèn)為這次并購(gòu)會(huì)給美國(guó)帶來(lái)安全風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。有鑒于此,日本人完全有理由認(rèn)為里珀將軍又復(fù)活了。 ????里珀將軍是斯坦利?庫(kù)布里克在20世紀(jì)60年代拍攝的冷戰(zhàn)影片《奇愛(ài)博士》(Doctor Strangelove)中的美國(guó)戰(zhàn)略空軍基地司令。里珀將軍向他統(tǒng)領(lǐng)的34架B-52轟炸機(jī)下令,轟炸蘇聯(lián),引發(fā)第三次世界大戰(zhàn)。他為什么對(duì)蘇聯(lián)不滿呢?因?yàn)樗霸僖膊荒苄涫峙杂^,再也不能容忍共產(chǎn)主義者的滲透、灌輸、顛覆,以及他們侵蝕、污染我們珍貴體液的陰謀。” ????與此類(lèi)似,對(duì)日本軟銀(Softbank)公司的反對(duì)集中于軟銀所謂的與中國(guó)的密切關(guān)系,以及中國(guó)因涉嫌窺探美國(guó)機(jī)密而遭到的控訴。(目前為止還沒(méi)有人提到污染體液的事。) ????軟銀去年開(kāi)價(jià)201億美元收購(gòu)斯普林特70%的股份,而美國(guó)的Dish公司上月愿出價(jià)255億美元徹底收購(gòu)這家公司。這場(chǎng)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)非常激烈。美國(guó)競(jìng)標(biāo)商將這些網(wǎng)絡(luò)攻擊言論當(dāng)作緊要關(guān)頭的作戰(zhàn)重點(diǎn),以損害日本競(jìng)爭(zhēng)者的信用。許多分析人士認(rèn)為,后者實(shí)力更強(qiáng)。 ????那些一直保持警惕的人是怎么想的呢?比如說(shuō)美國(guó)參議員查爾斯?舒默。有趣的是,他曾雇傭的一名籌款人如今就是Dish的員工。這些人擔(dān)心的是,通過(guò)中國(guó)制造的網(wǎng)絡(luò)或日本軟銀使用的硬件可以挖掘到美國(guó)的情報(bào)。舒默發(fā)表聲明說(shuō):“我真的擔(dān)心,這筆交易一旦達(dá)成,美國(guó)工業(yè)和政府部門(mén)將更容易遭到中國(guó)人民解放軍的網(wǎng)絡(luò)攻擊。據(jù)說(shuō)軟銀的日本無(wú)線網(wǎng)絡(luò)嚴(yán)重依賴(lài)中國(guó)的設(shè)備(和制造商),這些制造商與中國(guó)政府關(guān)系密切。” ????位于東京的IT咨詢公司Eurotechnology的格哈德?法索爾認(rèn)為這簡(jiǎn)直是無(wú)稽之談。他說(shuō):“我不相信軟銀對(duì)此有絲毫興趣。他們是一家日本公司,最高管理層幾乎都是日本人,其中一名董事會(huì)成員還是美國(guó)高盛集團(tuán)(Goldman-Sachs)的銀行家。軟銀主要使用愛(ài)立信(Ericsson)的設(shè)備,也用一些其他公司的產(chǎn)品。” ????諷刺的是,正是斯普林特自己的子公司科維(Clearware)在網(wǎng)絡(luò)中安裝了中國(guó)制造商華為(Huawei)的設(shè)備,首先引發(fā)了對(duì)于共產(chǎn)黨陰謀的警惕。軟銀已經(jīng)同意花費(fèi)10億美元,淘汰這些設(shè)備。 |
????With Japan's bid for Sprint, the U.S.'s third-place mobile carrier, coming under attack from patriots who consider the merger a security risk, the Japanese could be forgiven for thinking General Jack D. Ripper was on the loose again. ????Readers might recall the commanding general of the fictional Burpelson Air Force Base, from Stanley Kubrick's coldwar masterpiece Doctor Strangelove. Ripper issued an order to the 34 B-52's of his Wing to bomb Russia and start WWIII. The cause of his disaffection? He could "no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion, and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids." ????Similarly, the objections raised against the Japanese-owned Softbank center on its alleged close relationship with China and all the potential snooping against America China has been accused of. (Nobody has mentioned impurifying bodily fluids -- yet.) ????Softbank offered $20.1 billion for 70% of Sprint (S) last year, while the U.S.-based Dish (DISH) last month proffered $25.5 billion for all of the company. The rivalry has been fierce. The competing American bidder has made these cyberattack allegations the center of a last-minute campaign to discredit the Japanese pitch, which many analysts consider the stronger. ????What is on the minds of the ever-vigilant -- such as U.S. Senator Charles Schumer who, interestingly, employed a campaign fundraiser who is now working for Dish? The sapping of intelligence via Chinese-made networks or hardware Softbank might use. "I have real concerns that this deal, if approved, could make American industry and government agencies far more susceptible to cyberattacks from China and the People's Liberation Army," Schumer said a statement. "Softbank's Japanese wireless network reportedly relies heavily on Chinese equipment [manufacturers] with ties to the Chinese government." ????All poppycock, says tech analyst in Tokyo, Gerhard Fasol of Eurotechnology. "I can't believe that Softbank has that interest at all; they are a Japanese business. Their top management is almost all Japanese; one board member is a U.S. Goldman-Sachs banker. Softbank uses mainly Ericsson equipment but some others also," he says. ????Ironically it was a U.S. firm, Clearwire, a Sprint subsidiary, that installed Chinese Huawei equipment in its network that raised the alarm on a commie plot first. Softbank has agreed to rip it all out at a cost to itself of $1 billion. |