\nUp until now, no intelligence service has published clear evidence that Huawei inserted \u201cbackdoors\u201d for Chinese authorities to access the data that passes through its networks.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
On the other side there is Germany, which wants proof from the United States that Huawei poses a security risk, as well as France, Portugal and a slew of central and eastern EU nations.<\/p>\n
The increasingly divergent attitudes show how Donald Trump is forcing allies to take sides in a global dispute and measure their economic interests \u2014 often deeply embedded with the Chinese vendors \u2014 against the value of a security alliance with Washington.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe message of the U.S. [on Chinese tech] is targeted in part at European governments,\u201d said Paul Triolo, head of the \u201cgeo-technology\u201d practice at think tank Eurasia Group.<\/p>\n
Part of that message has to do with pointing a finger at China. Pompeo did that on Wednesday when he accused the Chinese government of hacking the Marriott<\/a> hotel chain and stealing the information of up to 500 million people. Top U.S. intelligence officials also testified to senators Wednesday that they sense an \u201cawakening\u201d among allies regarding how they deal with Chinese tech vendors.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we shift into 5G, it is important to communicate the risk,\u201d Christopher Krebs, a high-ranking cybersecurity official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, told senators.<\/p>\n \nThe U.S. diplomatic campaign has so far managed to convince counterparts in Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand to restrict Huawei.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The United States Five Eyes partners \u2014 the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand \u2014 \u201chave an increasing common understanding of these risks,\u201d Krebs said, adding that Washington is reaching out to other international allies on this as well.<\/p>\n Up until now, no intelligence service has published clear evidence that Huawei inserted \u201cbackdoors\u201d for Chinese authorities to access the data that passes through its networks. Huawei itself vehemently denies it has ever helped any intelligence service with espionage requests. \u201cWe categorically reject any allegation that we might pose a security threat,\u201d it said in a statement<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n But the company faces long-standing suspicions that its too close to Beijings intelligence services \u2014 concerns that stem from U.S.<\/a> and U.K. government reports<\/a>. Fueling such worries is the opaqueness of the companys ownership structure. The company, which is privately held, was founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese military officer, leading some to conclude that it has retained ties with the government.<\/p>\n The discussion over its position in Europe fits into a broader geopolitical shift, as Europe seeks ways to keep control over its technologies and industries under the banner of \u201cstrategic autonomy.\u201d The Continent is also trying to relieve pressure on its once-dominant telecom equipment champions Ericsson and Nokia, which are feeling the heat from their Chinese competitors around the globe.<\/p>\n The U.S. diplomatic campaign has so far managed to convince counterparts in Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand to restrict Huawei.<\/p>\n The beef worsened last week when Canadian authorities arrested Huaweis chief financial officer, Sabrina Meng,<\/a> at the request of U.S. authorities.<\/p>\n They were set to ramp up the pressure in a coordinated release of indictments and statements this week slamming Beijing for continued aggression in cyberspace and for violating a 2015 agreement on cyber espionage activities, the Washington Post reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n \nPressure on EU governments is rising by the week for more public criticism of Huawei.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n These moves add fuel to an escalating trade war between the United States and China. Trump previously used such judicial procedures as bargaining chips in his feud with Chinese counterparts over trade barriers and market access, and suggested Wednesday<\/a> he could do the same with the Huawei case.<\/p>\n The U.S. indictments are aimed at sending a message to the European Union, analysts said.<\/p>\n \u201cHuawei has a large market share,\u201d a senior European diplomat said who asked not to be named due to the issues sensitivity. \u201cSome Europeans havent seen a reason to change that. But the U.S. is more geo-politically driven.\u201d<\/p>\n Overall, Europes response to concerns about Huawei has been: Show us proof, then well consider the actions.<\/p>\n In critical markets such as Germany, France and the United Kingdom, authorities have charged security agencies with verifying telecom equipment. In the U.K., Huawei has a longstanding deal with the intelligence agency GCHQ to have its equipment audited at a center called \u201cthe Cell,\u201d in Banbury, a provincial town in southeast England, where cybersecurity experts check its code for backdoors.<\/p>\n But pressure on EU governments is rising by the week for more public criticism of Huawei.<\/p>\n Alex Younger, the U.K.s foreign intelligence chief, issued a public warning when he told an audience at St Andrews University:<\/a> \u201cWe need to decide the extent to which we are going to be comfortable with Chinese ownership of these technologies and these platforms in an environment where some of our allies have taken a quite definite position.\u201d The U.K.s main telecom operator BT also decided to phase out Huawei equipment from its core network, the Financial Times reported<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n At the EU level, officials are scrambling to come up with a policy response. An internal paper obtained by POLITICO previously showed<\/a> the European Commission recognized the risks associated with giving foreign vendors control over telecom networks. The Commission also commissioned a study on \u201ccyber-enabled theft of intellectual property\u201d that references the same hacker groups targeted by the expected U.S. statements this week.<\/p>\n Germanys biggest telecoms companies said they would continue to work with Huawei | Oliver Berg\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n Belgiums Centre for Cybersecurity, which reports to Prime Minister Charles Michel, is advising<\/a> the government about risks related to Huawei. It said it had \u201crecently requested studies through national and international channels that [would] show that the use of Huawei technology comes with risk,\u201d according to Miguel De Bruycker, head of the cybersecurity agency.<\/p>\n If Europe decides to side with the U.S. on Huawei, Germany would be the tipping point.<\/p>\n But Germany asserts that its security checks are sufficient and allows telecom operators to choose their vendors. The countrys biggest telecom companies said this week they would continue to work with Huawei to roll out fifth-generation, or 5G, networks.<\/p>\n \u201cConsidering the near-term needs for extension and investment, Germany will hardly be able to afford to exclude high-performance suppliers,\u201d Deutsche Telekom said in a statement to POLITICO. Telef\u00f3nica Deutschland and Vodafone echoed that statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n Underscoring the friendly ties between German authorities and Huawei, the firm last month opened a center in Bonn called the Security Innovation Lab, where \u201ca close and regular cooperation between the [German Federal Office for Information Security] and Huawei is planned\u201d that would include \u201cthe verification of product safety,\u201d the company said at the launch<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arne Sch\u00f6nbohm, president of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), said in a statement that the lab \u201cwill allow further and deeper technical exchange between Huawei and BSI to address the future challenges of cyber security.\u201d<\/p>\n Huawei last month tried to get German consumers on its side too, through an advertisement campaign<\/a> that included quips referencing Berlins struggle to upgrade its telecom networks to 5G. The underlying message is that the country needs Huaweis gear to make its transition to fifth-generation internet networks happen.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat will cover more of Berlin,\u201d one ad said<\/a>, depicting an elderly lady holding a Maltese dog. \u201c5G or dog poop?\u201d<\/p>\nGermany resists<\/h3>\n
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