Internet Link To HK Is A National Security Risk: US

US authorities have given Google permission to switch on a high-speed undersea internet cable between the United States and Taiwan, but have told the company that it can't start using the link to Hong Kong because this would pose a national security risk.

The US Justice Department said "there is a significant risk that the grant of a direct cable connection between the United States and Hong Kong would seriously jeopardise the national security and law enforcement interests of the United States."

US agencies also told Google it should "pursue diversification of interconnection points in Asia", with Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines suggested.

Hong Kong is a major destination for US internet cables. But Washington has expressed concerns recently about China's role in handling internet network traffic and the potential for espionage.

Google and Facebook helped pay for the construction of the new telecommunications link but US regulators had blocked its use.

In seeking permission to switch it on, Google had warned it would face significantly higher prices to carry traffic by other means.

The company has now agreed to operate a portion of the 13,000-kilometre Pacific Light Cable Network System between the United States and Taiwan, but not the branch to Hong Kong.

The Wall Street Journal notes that Washington's decision threatens to end Hong Kong’s dominance as a destination for US undersea cables.

The newspaper also warns that it could also put at risk several ongoing projects, including a Facebook-backed fiber-optic line between Hong Kong and Los Angeles, and a Google-backed project linking Hong Kong to Guam. (Additional reporting by Reuters)