U.S. officials descended on Europe last week, in order to make some progression in their lobbying campaign to ban Huawei. And it appears that their efforts gained some traction, as countries within the EU begin to reconsider Huawei’s involvement in the roll-out of 5G.
Currently, Europe is being pulled between two major world powers, the US and China, over whether to include Huawei’s equipment in 5G networks. As things stand, there’s currently a stalemate, as European countries don’t want to upset Beijing, or lose U.S. support as a security ally. And America has already threatened to cut off intelligence sharing in European countries that use Huawei in their 5G networks, which could end up being a deciding factor.
Comprehensive and risk-based
It appears that a decision could be made soon, as the European Union has agreed to take a “comprehensive and risk-based” approach to the security of 5G. This includes only using trustworthy companies to supply the components. The EU will also consider the laws within a supplier’s home country, before allowing them to get involved.
“We were very pleased to see the conclusions on 5G that the EU council released,” said Robert Strayer, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cyber and International Communications.
Keith Krach, the State Department’s under secretary for economic growth, energy, and the environment reiterated U.S. support for the EU’s stance, saying, “I would like to salute the EU leadership on the position they’ve taken on securing 5G.”
Whilst the US appears to be celebrating some form of victory, the EU hasn’t officially stated that it is planning to ban Huawei. The countries involved have just agreed to a stricter outlook on 5G equipment suppliers. But, against the backdrop of its trade war with China, the U.S. is claiming the EU’s stance as a victory.
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