The European Commission is thinking of ways to force Member States of the European Union to phase out technology from Huawei and ZTE from their 5G communication networks.
The use of Chinese equipment in European critical infrastructure poses an increasing risk, according to the European Commission. Therefore, the executive branch of the EU wants to make its recommendations in a 2020 report on the security of 5G networks in Europe binding.
According to Bloomberg, which spoke with people familiar with the matter, the European Commission recommends that Member States stop using the equipment from Chinese tech companies, including Huawei and ZTE.
Additionally, the press agency reports that the European Commission may no longer provide Global Gateway loans for projects that involve Huawei equipment. The Global Gateway initiative focuses on financing infrastructure projects in developing countries.
Huawei has been under scrutiny for years. The Chinese technology company is heavily involved in the construction of a global 5G network.
In recent years, a growing number of countries have terminated their partnership with Huawei and opted for other suppliers, because they claim that the company was secretly eavesdropping by collecting personal and sensitive data and sharing this information with the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), making Huawei a threat to national security.
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For that reason, countries like India, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States have decided to phase out network devices from Huawei and ZTE in their 5G networks, or to ban network equipment from Chinese tech companies in communication networks in the critical infrastructure. German operators are also considering replacing 5G equipment from Huawei.
No evidence has ever been provided to support espionage accusations. Huawei and the Chinese government have always denied any incriminations.
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