The Chinese electronics company Huawei wants to start producing part of its 5G equipment outside China. This move aims to convince foreign governments that Huawei’s technical equipment is safe. The company is considering opening a factory in Europe, among other locations.
Several EU countries have expressed concerns that the Chinese government could use Chinese telecom products worldwide for eavesdropping and spying. Similar concerns have also been raised regarding Russian products. In both cases, it is stated that the major telecom companies are under state supervision in Russia and China.
The Chinese tech company was placed on a blacklist by the US government in May. This is a list of organizations that US companies are prohibited from trading with. The US government has long tried to persuade foreign governments to also exclude the Chinese company from 5G projects.
By producing part of its 5G equipment outside Europe, Huawei wants to dispel concerns about the security of its equipment. EU telecom ministers agreed in Brussels that EU countries should pay special attention to the technical risk profiles of non-EU companies when rolling out ultra-fast 5G mobile internet. They must also consider the legal and political frameworks under which 5G providers from outside the EU operate when awarding contracts.
The EU telecommunications ministers agreed on this in Brussels without naming Huawei, the Chinese tech giant. Some European countries want to exclude Huawei out of fear that the network equipment could be used for espionage; others want to cooperate with them. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton (Internal Market) said that the risks must be faced "without naivety."