Siding with Huawei could see Europe omitted from joint projects with the US

Last week, Huawei made a last ditch effort to lay down its 5G network in Europe amidst allegations of espionage, stating that it would comply thoroughly with supervision. While the EU mulls over the decision, the United States government has warned the authority that using Huawei’s technology could bar Europe from engaging in joint projects in the future.

During his visit to Budapest, Hungary, US Secretary of State Mike Pomeo revealed that countries using Huawei’s gear make it “more difficult for America to be present in those countries. If that equipment is co-located where we have important American systems, it makes it more difficult for us to partner alongside them.”

This is problematic when Huawei has estimated that its technology is directly responsible for around 70 percent of Hungary’s internet connection. Pomeo’s words will likely resonate better in Poland as he continues to tour Central Europe, especially when the country is already considering an outright ban on Huawei’s 5G network infrastructure.

“What's imperative is that we share with them the things we know about the risks that Huawei's presence in their networks presents,” Pomeo continued. “Actual risks to their own people, to the loss of privacy protections for their own people, the risk that China will use this data in a way that is not in the best interest of Hungary.”

China hasn’t taken kindly to Pomeo’s efforts, accusing the United States of attempting to “sow discord between China and other countries.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying also called the tour “unfair and immoral,” labelling allegations of espionage as fabrications.

Huawei continues to deny claims against the company, as it attempts to “encourage all governments to take an objective look at the evidence and maintain an open, engaged approach to 5G. Excluding one supplier from technological developments in cyber security will damage technical and economic progress and harm competition.”

KitGuru Says: Europe seems increasingly divided on its stance for a body that was considering a unified approach to the allegations against Huawei. Hopefully a decision is made soon.

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