Bipartisan U.S. Bill Seeks to Ban Government Procurement of Chinese Optical Transceivers
nashnova research
US senators from both parties introduced a bill to ban Chinese-made optical transceivers from sensitive federal systems, targeting Eoptolink and XGIGA (中际旭创) — the tech decoupling fight is now reaching into the data-center interconnect layer.
What are optical transceivers, and why are they a target now?
Optical transceivers — devices that convert electrical signals to light for fiber-optic transmission — are a core interconnect component in AI data centers. A single large facility may need millions of them.
In plain terms = they are the "blood vessels" of a data center; without them, servers cannot talk to each other at speed.
The bill names two Chinese companies: Eoptolink and HG Genuine (XGIGA, Shenzhen: 300308). XGIGA was already on the Pentagon's list of companies with alleged Chinese military ties.
Who is behind the bill, and what is their case?
Four senators co-sponsored the legislation: Republicans John Cornyn and Dave McCormick, Democrats John Fetterman and Ruben Gallego.
The core argument is national security. McCormick said the US "should not be reliant on China for technology critical to our national security." Cornin said Chinese technology "undermines the security and reliability of critical government communications."
This means → optical transceivers have been elevated to the same "security-sensitive" tier as chips and AI models. The restriction logic has expanded from military use to government IT infrastructure.
Why is the US tech industry pushing back?
The Information Technology Industry Council wrote to the FCC on August 13, urging regulators not to blacklist optical transceivers, citing the "potential impact on data-center deployment and US AI leadership."
A report by the Foundation for American Innovation found that domestic firms Coherent and Lumentum have competitive technology but lack the scale to replace Chinese suppliers.
In plain terms = the policy wants to cut off supply, but America's own alternatives are not ready — a supply vacuum looms in the near term.
If the bill passes, how would it take effect?
The federal government would get a five-year transition window to complete compliance.
The Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Defense would gain authority to add more companies to the restricted list, potentially widening the scope.
This means → whether the bill actually lands depends on two variables: whether Congress advances it, and whether domestic supply chains can fill the gap within five years. If either stalls, the policy stays on paper.
We should not be reliant on China for technology critical to our national security.
Dave McCormick
US Republican Senator
(bill press release)
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