The United States, along with its allies including the United Kingdom and Australia, has imposed a ban on Huawei’s participation in their respective 5G networks. U.S. officials have made known their several concerns about the potential for Huawei and ZTE technology to be exploited by Beijing for espionage purposes, although both companies and the Chinese government have denied all allegations of such happening.
In January 2020, the European Union (EU) introduced a “5G cybersecurity toolbox” to assess the risks associated with certain providers of 5G infrastructure. This move became necessary as several countries, including the UK, were deciding to prohibit Huawei from participating in their networks due to security concerns.
In a recent speech, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton emphasized the need of speed up talks to replace some high-risk suppliers in 5G networks. He urged member states and telecom operators to address this issue promptly. Currently, only 10 EU countries have implemented restrictions or bans on Huawei in their 5G networks.
Breton also announced that the EU Commission would apply the principles outlined in the 5G toolbox to its own procurement of telecom services, aiming to avoid exposure to Huawei and ZTE.
China has expressed strong opposition to some EU countries’ ban on Huawei, asserting that the European Commission lacks the legal basis to prohibit the company. Germany’s consideration of a similar ban prompted a response from the Chinese embassy, which expressed dissatisfaction with the reports.
As at this time, Huawei and ZTE have not yet responded to the numerous requests requesting that they comment on the matter.
The EU has previously described China as a “partner,” “economic competitor,” and “systemic rival.” However, recent developments have highlighted the EU’s growing concerns regarding China’s influence in critical technology sectors. While the EU aims to maintain its partnership with China, it has also exercises caution as a result of the risks associated with this relationship.
Replacing Huawei as a provider of infrastructure in mobile networks has posed challenges for operators. Industry executives have noted that Huawei’s technology often offers a competitive advantage in terms of cost and advancement compared to alternatives such as Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung.
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