The US government reportedly prepared to change tack in moves to convince other nations to avoid using equipment from Chinese vendors in 5G networks, moving towards a strategy of persuasion instead of pressure.

Options being prepared include financial incentives and guidance on alternatives to Chinese-made equipment, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

It stated the US Department of Commerce is preparing a reference book of case studies and recommendations to guide governments and operators on how to roll out 5G networks. The materials are said to feature training on deploying infrastructure without relying on equipment made in China.

A bill is already making its way through Congress which would allow countries in Central and Eastern Europe to access US foreign aid funding to buy non-Chinese equipment, the newspaper reported.

US officials have concerns about the Chinese government potentially accessing domestic equipment for espionage.

Those concerns are shared by the UK government, which banned operators from using Huawei’s equipment in 5G networks and required them to replace existing kit. The approach is expected to be one of the examples used in the reference book, WSJ stated.

Vodafone UK could be used as a role model, depending on the success of a plan to employ open RAN in its 5G rollout.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden reportedly tied a sale of fighter jets to the UAE with 5G network rollouts, pressing the nation to eliminate Huawei equipment before taking delivery of the aircraft, which is not scheduled for delivery for several years.