A US State Department official stated on Tuesday that the United States is prioritizing their efforts to persuade allies, the European Union, not to take in Huawei hardware for new 5G mobile networks. Huawei, the largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, may be a threat to security. The message will be taken to other European nations by American officials after their meetings with the European Commission and the Belgian government.
Europe’s preparations for 5G networks may pose as a national security risk to the United States as well. Washington’s actions by both not allowing Huawei hardware from supplying the government and spreading its warnings across European nations, the trade war between China and the United States will take longer than expected to resolve. Europe is one of Huawei’s biggest markets in the globe. Its hardware and equipment are largely used in Europe, aiming to use Huawei’s technology for upgrading their mobile networks. The new fifth generation network will be devised to connect smartphones to many things such as vehicles and buildings.
Potential Risk of a Surfacing Cyberwarfare
Huawei Technologies Co. continue to deny any speculation against them as the United States worries that China could use the company for espionage. One American official said, “We are saying you need to be very, very cautious and we are urging folks not to rush ahead and sign contracts with untrusted suppliers like China.”
A citation that is stated in the National Intelligence Law, according to an American official, articulates that China’s intelligence-gathering activities can aid individuals and companies. “Huawei and ZTE are ensconced in a one-party state where they are simply not equipped to resist directions from Beijing.” The official also added, saying “Going with an untrusted supplier like Huawei or ZTE will have sorts of ramifications for your national security and – since we are military allies with almost all members of the European Union, on our national security as well.”
Evidence of China’s alleged espionage with companies such as Huawei and ZTE, according to the official, was derived or pertained to as “China’s one-party state, a series of Chinese laws last 2017, and counter-terrorism legislation.” The American official pointed out the issues or vulnerabilities that that British intelligence have encountered and discovered in older generations of mobile networks built by Huawei.
Ongoing Initiatives by the European Union
The European Commissions was considering a proposal that concerns banning Huawei from 5G networks in Europe. While unease in Germany continues to escalate, the French parliamentary is reviewing a provision that would enhance the government’s leverage to check on 5G equipment. A French official made a statement, saying “We may not have all the information the United States has. But we take decisions based on what we know. And at this stage, we have not decided to ban Huawei in France.”