US warn allies again about use of Huawei equipment

The United States again warns allies about collaborations with the Chinese company Huawei. For example, it appears that Hungary has indicated that it has more difficulty in cooperating with countries with telecom networks that use Huawei technology.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned some countries in central Europe that the roll-out of Huawei telecommunications equipment makes it more difficult for America to be present in those countries. We want to make sure that the opportunities and risks of using that equipment are clear, Pompeo told various media in Budapest.

Chinese networks

Huawei states that its equipment is currently being used to provide coverage to 70% of Hungarians. We see this happening all over the world. That makes it harder for America to be present, Pompeo said. At the same time, certain defence agreements had been announced between the United States and Hungary. This agreement also included the purchase of certain anti-aircraft equipment.

If that [Huawei-] equipment is in a country where there are also important American systems, it is more difficult for us to work with it. According to Pompeo, there are risks involved in giving China too much room for manoeuvre. That is why the United States is doing its best internationally to prevent Chinese companies like Huawei from rolling out 5G networks in Western countries.

According to the Americans, the danger lies in a Chinese law that obliges companies to cooperate with espionage requests. For this reason, the Americans also want other countries to come up with bans, so that Chinese equipment does not form the basis of 5G networks. Several countries are joining in, but others are looking for guarantees from the Chinese companies. If, for example, Huawei equipment is not used when deploying 5G networks, this can lead to delays and reduced economic benefits.