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Bill Barr’s striking plan to counter Huawei

President Trump has made it very clear that he is worried about Huawei’s leading role in 5G wireless technology. Now his attorney general, Bill Barr, has offered a radical solution: having the U.S. invest in the Chinese company’s European counterparts.

The U.S. doesn’t have a homegrown competitor to Huawei, Mr. Barr noted in a speech yesterday. The only viable rivals are Ericsson of Sweden and Nokia of Finland.

“Our economic future is at stake,” Mr. Barr said. “The risk of losing the 5G struggle with China should vastly outweigh other considerations.”

So he has an idea:

• “Some propose that these concerns could be met by the United States aligning itself with Nokia and/or Ericsson through American ownership of a controlling stake, either directly or through a consortium of private American and allied companies.”