On: The FBI, CIA and NSA say American citizens shouldn...

[tgsovlerkhgsel]

A third possibility is that they're using this influence to give an economic advantage to US-based companies, and a disadvantage to foreign (or specifically Chinese) ones.

Could also be all three of course.

[anyeverynothing → tgsovlerkhgsel]

You're right it could be anything and everything. But knowing what I know about intelligence agencies and China it was most likely a fair warning to the US citizen.

[psergeant → tgsovlerkhgsel]

The economic argument is difficult to make, because it raises costs on American companies who are consumers.

[coldtea → psergeant]

Unless of course those consumers have less influence on politicians that huge telcos (and the costs are negligible anyway)

[emodendroket → psergeant]

I don't think that's true. You just need one party to be on good terms.

[aaronblohowiak → psergeant]

you don't want the only source of essential infrastructure to be an adversary so the "economic" argument may also be strategic but in a different way.