the European Parliament criticizes the importance of Huawei in mobile networks

2024-01-18 16:27:00

Chinese investments in Europe are worrying. MEPs made this known this Wednesday by voting on a new resolution. This text, non-binding and adopted by a large majority of 564 votes, sounds the alarm concerning the “vulnerability” from the critical infrastructures of the Old Continent to the influence of Beijing. Among the growing investments of Chinese companies which pose a problem, the parliamentarians mention, pell-mell, those in transport, ports or even rare metals… But also, and above all, in telecom networks, and more particularly in the new 5G.

In this area, one company in particular is causing concern. This is Huawei. Very present in European 5G networks, the place of the giant in telecoms equipment and smartphones arouses the extreme distrust of deputies. They fear that Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers constitute a link in the so-called strategy of “civil-military fusion” from Beijing. This aims, according to parliamentarians, to put companies from the Middle Kingdom at the service of the authorities to promote “technology transfers”, “increase Chinese domination”et “weaken its geopolitical rivals”. MEPs therefore call on member states to “exclude entities likely to participate in this strategy”.

“Additional safety standards”

For several years, the place of Huawei, like its compatriot ZTE, in 5G networks has been criticized in Brussels. The European Union fears that Beijing will use it for espionage purposes, or to cut off communications in the event of conflict. What the Chinese giant has, however, always denied. The Parliament resolution deplores, thus, “that 100% of Cyprus’ 5G network” either “composed of Chinese equipment, as well as 59% of that of Germany”. An unacceptable observation for the deputies. The resolution specifies that “this goes against the guidelines” from ” toolbox “ of the European Union of January 2020, which called for limiting the use of Chinese equipment manufacturers for the deployment of 5G.

Huawei and 5G: the EU’s belated “toolbox”

As a result, Parliament “calls on the Council and the Commission to prohibit the use of equipment and software produced by manufacturers established in the People’s Republic of China for basic network functions”. L’institution « invite » also the European Commission « to propose additional security standards for Chinese 5G network providers and for the next generation of 6G networks”.

“A risk for our common security”

The European Commission is, in fact, already on the same wavelength. Last spring, Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, vigorously called for Huawei and ZTE to be banned from mobile networks. “ We cannot afford to maintain dependencies that could become weapons against our interestshe said. It would be too great a risk for our common security”.

France is directly concerned by Europe’s barbs towards Huawei. In France, a law dating from August 1, 2019 made it possible to restrict the deployment of 5G equipment from this manufacturer. SFR and Bouygues Telecom, which widely used the services of the Shenzhen group, were asked to dismantle a large part of their Chinese antennas. But China recently obtained from France the extension of the duration of use of certain equipment.

France is playing extra time with Huawei’s 5G antennas

Furthermore, it is in Alsace, near Strasbourg – where the European Parliament is located – that Huawei is currently building its first factory outside China. Costing more than 200 million euros, this is intended to supply Europe with 5G, then 6G, equipment in the years to come. The question of the future of the Chinese giant on the Old Continent continues to fuel debate.

By attacking Huawei and Chinese investments in several sectors of activity, MEPs will inevitably accentuate trade tensions between China and the EU, which have continued to deteriorate for several months with the establishment, in Europe, of several measures to protect certain markets. Such barriers to entry, as is the case for Chinese electric cars in France, arouse the annoyance of Beijing, which has already started to retaliate by targeting certain European spirits, and more particularly French.

Read our editorial here: Chinese commercial retaliation: after cognac, French luxury?