Or maybe this is retaliation for the billions Chinese companies have made off stolen American IP. Ever thought of that? To imply this is pure protectionism is over simplifying it.
I thought the problem was that they had developed something better than what the US currently has, their 5G implementation, and that's what has the US worried.
I always thought that it was about 5G being a significant chunk of future telecom infrastructure (which impacts national defense) and they don't want to buy it from Chinese companies.
It's silly to look at a centuries long geopolitical struggle for hegemony through the lens of fair play as though it's just a game among friends.