14 DAY TRIAL // Amid worries regarding potential worries of Chinese meddling in 5G networking tech, U.S. began an all-out campaign trying to persuade its allies to also give up on acquiring telecom equipment from Huawei Technologies Co, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The entities targeted by the American government are internet and telecommunication providers from allied countries, with a particular focus on the ones where Huawei's tech is already widely used (e.g., Germany, Italy and Japan.)
According to sources familiar with the U.S. efforts of convincing excluding Huawei's tech from friendly countries, the American government fears possible cybersecurity risks arising from the use of Chinese equipment in future 5G networks.
As detailed by The WSJ, the U.S. is even considering sending telecommunications development financial help to all countries that will avoid adding Huawei tech to their 5G networks.
“We engage with countries around the world about our concerns regarding cyberthreats in telecommunications infrastructure,” said a U.S. official. “As they’re looking to move to 5G, we remind them of those concerns. There are additional complexities to 5G networks that make them more vulnerable to cyberattacks.”
Huawei denies the U.S. allegations, expressing surprise to being labeled as a security risk
The U.S. move of trying to persuade its allies to shun the Chinese company from their telecommunication markets stems from the almost full ban Huawei experienced after a 2012 report issued by the U.S. Congress which labeled it as a national security threat.
The ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing is also responsible for Huawei's treatment, considering that this was also triggered by security concerns related to China's cyber espionage operations on U.S. territory.
At the moment, Huawei is the world's second-largest smartphone maker, and it also dominates the telecommunication equipment market, with a 22% global share, followed at a great distance by Nokia with 13%, Ericsson with 11%, and ZTE with roughly 10%.
Huawei issued a statement regarding the U.S. government's attempt to block it on foreign markets, saying that they were “surprised by the behaviors of the U.S. government," and that "If a government’s behavior extends beyond its jurisdiction, such activity should not be encouraged."