Lebanon turns to Chinese electronics after West ‘lost credibility’ since deadly attacks

Lebanese business leader says his country will reduce Western tech imports, including mobile devices, and buy more from China after pager explosions

Reading Time:2 minutes

The remains of an exploded radio device are seen inside a house in eastern Lebanon. The attacks last month have left Hezbollah in disarray. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:31pm, 14 Oct 2024Updated: 6:36pm, 14 Oct 2024

Lebanon will begin importing more telecoms products from China after a wave of deadly attacks last month that targeted electronic devices, according to a Lebanese business group, which said the West had “lost credibility”.

Ali Al Abdullah, president of the Lebanese Chinese Business Association, said his country, along with “many other countries”, would reduce purchases of tech products from Western countries and “turn east for technology” due to safety concerns, adding that Western companies would “suffer major losses”.

“What happened is a lesson for Lebanon and the world,” he told China Global Television Network, a state-backed news channel, in an interview aired on Sunday.

There has been no official confirmation from Chinese authorities that imports of telecoms products from China to Lebanon would be increased.

The two days of attacks in Lebanon targeted pagers and then walkie-talkies, which killed dozens of people and wounded thousands, including civilians as well as members of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Lebanese soldiers prepare to destroy a device in a controlled explosion in southern Lebanon. Photo: AFP

The attacks were widely believed to be orchestrated by Israel, Lebanon’s southern neighbour, targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah, but Israel has not directly claimed responsibility for the operation.