U.S. Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) led 11 of his Republican colleagues in voicing concerns about China hosting the 2027 World Radiocommunications Conference, also known as WRC-27, and urged the Trump administration to proactively prepare for the international event. “We must use every tool at our disposal to counter China’s influence and ensure the United States remains at the forefront of global telecommunications leadership,” wrote the members in a Sept. 17 letter sent to members of the administration. “Hosting the WRC provides several significant advantages, including setting the agenda, guiding discussions, and influencing themes, thereby enabling the host country to exert substantial ‘soft’ influence over global telecommunications standards and policies,” wrote Rep. Pfluger and his colleagues. “This, combined with the threat of espionage against government officials and participants, raises significant data security and national security concerns,” the members added. “Robust, effective, coordinated, and purposeful participation in WRC-27 and the working groups that precede it is an absolute necessity,” Rep. Pfluger and the lawmakers wrote.