I mean sure, but that was the US, and it also exerting influence over much of Europe. If you are using that incident to influence your country-of-origin decisions regarding phones due to security concerns, then which ones remain?
That wasn't my point, the point was regarding your calling my distrust "silly" and pointing to another example where there was reason to feel doubt despite the lack of current evidence. I completely acknowledge your point there, that being said, but it's also about mitigating risk. I distrust those companies more than the others, to answer your question.
I can understand that, but at that point, as you rightfully point out, it's not just Chinese companies who are affected but everyone who builds there -- or in one of the new countries popping up as manufacturing hotspots because China is getting "too expensive". And when you look at it like that your options are extremely limited.
I'll readily admit that any advocacy against China or Chinese products is something I currently put under increased scrutiny, because the ongoing propaganda efforts in western media regarding it are getting a bit much. (Which again is not to say there aren't very real problems with lots of things China does; just that the focus on it and framing of it compared to similar issues elsewhere is quite transparent)
I take issue with products that can be used to invade privacy. I use KZ- earbuds, a lot of stuff made in China cannot be used to really harvest much. Phones are a goldmine, however, along with routers and components of network infrastructure. Cisco comes to mind.
[Edit : to be absolutely clear, sorry if that is stating the obvious - I know Cisco hardware and most US IT companies manufacturing routers meant for core network infrastructures have been rumored to have NSA-planted backdoors. That was to illustrate the country-agnostic side of the distrust of government spying]
As for advocacy against Chinese products, there are reasons to criticize them - as pointed out earlier, notably ecological and ethical ones. I understand what you are saying about propaganda, I see it as well, but I take offense to being forbidden from criticizing this regime - or any other - and its exercise of influence, which it has historically done and meddles in corporate affairs all the time (yes, just like the US), because of a spinal reflex to another bout of western madness.