KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said it was ironic that while the United States had introduced the internet to the world — today they are the one proposing to divide the internet in light of China-based telecommunications giant Huawei leading the race in developing 5G network.

"Today, the United States is virtually conceding defeat in the race for technological supremacy with China when US President Trump exercised the "nuclear option” and added Huawei and 68 of its non-US affiliates to a blacklist, officially called the Entity List, on May 16 restricting the Shenzen-based company’s ability to purchase hardware, software and services from its American hi-tech suppliers without approval from the US government.

"This marked a tech cold war and it could slow down or dramatically alter the roll-out of the 5G technology and infrastructure likely to define the future of the internet for the next decade and intertwine factories, power plants, airports, hospitals and government agencies,” Lim said in a statement today.

He urged Trump to abandon his bullying tactics and for Washington to cooperate with Beijing in securing a "win-win” solution to ensure 5G development for the world.

Lim pointed out that Huawei was reported to be 18 months ahead of its rivals in 5G roll-out capacity while the US lacks a telco hardware champion capable of competing against other players including Huawei, Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson.

"A new internet Cold War will be a major setback for the globalised world, and both the United States and China should accept the new global realities and find ways to co-operate with each other on 5G instead of embarking on actions inimical to global economic and technological interests,” he said.