The European Commission will next week urge EU countries to share more data to tackle cybersecurity risks related to 5G networks but will ignore U.S. calls to ban Huawei Technologies, four people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
European digital chief Andrus Ansip will present the recommendation on Tuesday. While the guidance does not have legal force, it will carry political weight which can eventually lead to national legislation in European Union countries.
The United States has lobbied Europe to shut out Huawei, saying its equipment could be used by the Chinese government for espionage. Huawei has strongly rejected the allegations and earlier this month sued the U.S. government over the issue.
Ansip will tell EU countries to use tools set out under the EU directive on security of network and information systems, or NIS directive, adopted in 2016 and the recently approved Cybersecurity Act, the people said.
For example, member states should exchange information and coordinate on impact assessment studies on security risks and on certification for internet-connected devices and 5G equipment.
The EU executive’s guidance marks a tougher stance on Chinese investment after years of almost unfettered European openness to China, which controls 70 percent of the global supply of the critical raw materials needed to make high-tech goods.
The measures, if taken on board, will be part of what French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday was a “European awakening” about potential Chinese dominance, after EU leaders held a first-ever discussion about China policy at a summit.
Germany this month set tougher criteria for all telecoms equipment vendors, without singling out Huawei and ignoring U.S. pressure.
Big telecoms operators oppose a Huawei ban, saying such a move could set back 5G deployment in the bloc by years. In contrast, Australia and New Zealand have stopped operators using Huawei equipment in their networks.
Related Stories
US Official Criticizes Europe For Letting Huawei 5G Equipment Inside Borders
At this point, the United States' open opposition to Europe adopting Chinese tech giant Huawei's 5G equipment is well known. The US considers Huawei's legal commitments to the Chinese government and potential backdoors in the company's 5G equipment a national security threat. Subsequently, the country wants its European allies to forego 5G networking gear from Huawei at the cost of being left behind in the race to adopt the next-generation networking standard.
[...] Speaking at a tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal, US Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios urged Europe to follow America's lead in dealing with Huawei. Mr. Kratsios asked Europe to ''take a stand'' against the Chinese company who the US believes can be forced by China's intelligence to hand over sensitive data at any point in time.
Mr. Kratsios' statements come at a time when Europe is welcoming Huawei with open arms. Earlier this week Hungary announced that it would allow Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone to work with Huawei in introducing 5G services in the country. The decision marked another European country that's unfazed by the US' concerns. Germany, UK and other European countries have already laid down frameworks for letting Huawei's equipment broadcast 5G within their borders, but recent statements by the German foreign minister Heiko Maas suggest that Germany might be having second-thoughts about fully trusting Huawei.
Previously: Washington Asks Allies to Drop Huawei
Germany and the EU Likely to Embrace Huawei, Rebuff the U.S.
EU to Drop Threat of Huawei Ban but Wants 5G Risks Monitored
UK reportedly planning to phase out Huawei equipment from its 5G networks
After resisting pressure from the US for months, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is apparently preparing to phase out the use of Huawei equipment from the UK's 5G networks, the Financial Times reported. Citing national security concerns, members of the UK's Conservative party have pushed for Huawei technology to be removed from the UK's 5G infrastructure and the rest of its telecom network by 2023.
[...] Trump reportedly called Johnson earlier this year to discuss the matter, and at least one member of Congress said the US was reconsidering its intelligence partnership with the UK.
Johnson had limited how much Huawei equipment could be used for 5G networks in the UK, banning the use of the company's technology in the most sensitive parts of the network. He said in January that there were not a lot of other options available for the UK's 5G infrastructure, and telecom Vodafone said removing Huawei equipment from its networks would be extremely costly.
See also: Reports: UK to cut Huawei's involvement in 5G network
Boris Johnson forced to reduce Huawei's role in UK's 5G networks
Previously:
U.S. Intelligence Agency Heads Warn Against Using Huawei and ZTE Products
Huawei's Equipment Removed from UK Telecom BT's Network for Emergency Services
EU to Drop Threat of Huawei Ban but Wants 5G Risks Monitored
UK to Toughen Telecoms Security Controls to Shrink 5G Risks
How China Is Building A World-Beating Phone Network
Using Huawei in UK 5G Network 'Madness', Says US
Getting Huawei Out of US Networks Requires Gov't Funding, Senators Say
Huawei Fires Back, Points To US' History Of Spying On Phone Networks
TSMC Dumps Huawei
Huawei is 'open' to selling 5G chips to Apple for iPhones, marking a big shift in strategy
Huawei is "open" to selling high-speed 5G chips and other silicon to rival smartphone maker Apple, marking a significant shift in the Chinese tech giant's thinking toward its own intellectual property.
The world's largest networking equipment maker has been in the consumer market for a relatively short amount of time with its own-brand smartphones, but it has quickly risen to become the third-largest vendor by market share.
Huawei started by selling phones at low prices but in recent years has shifted focus to increase its market share in the high end of the market, battling Apple and Samsung. As part of that move, Huawei has developed its own chips, including a modem to give smartphones 5G connectivity, and a processor to power its devices. 5G is next-generation mobile internet, which delivers data at very high speeds.
So far, those pieces of technology have been used only in Huawei's devices. That could change. In an interview with CNBC that aired Monday, Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei said the company would consider selling its 5G chips to Apple. "We are open to Apple in this regard," Ren said. The CEO spoke in Mandarin, which was translated into English by an official translator.
Apple products (e.g. new iPhones) are likely to use 5G modems from Intel, although they won't be ready until 2020. Huawei has been shunned by U.S. companies due to warnings and pressure from the U.S. government claiming that Huawei products enable Chinese espionage. There has even been discussion of the U.S. government developing a 5G network free of Chinese influence. Given that there aren't many places in the country where you can get a "5G" connection yet, is there any point to this offer?
Related:
Intel Announces Development of 5G Modems (Due in 2019)
U.S. Intelligence Agency Heads Warn Against Using Huawei and ZTE Products
New Law Bans U.S. Government from Buying Equipment from Chinese Telecom Giants ZTE and Huawei
Australia Bans China's Huawei (and maybe ZTE) from 5G Mobile Network Project
Intel Speeds Up Rollout of 5G Modems
Washington Asks Allies to Drop Huawei
Australian Residents Reject Huawei Small Cell Boxes
Germany and the EU Likely to Embrace Huawei, Rebuff the U.S.
EU to Drop Threat of Huawei Ban but Wants 5G Risks Monitored
Huawei's Equipment Poses 'Significant' Security Risks, UK Says
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 25 2019, @10:53AM (16 children)
So far in the Huawei story, I haven't seen any evidence of their supposed wrongdoing. I also haven't heard of any evidence, nor what the wrongdoing could entail.
So at this point I'm assuming some US companies bribed some US government officials to get this ban on Huawei in place. That not many are following suit seems to indicate there isn't much truth to this story.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 25 2019, @11:25AM (6 children)
Smell rather of a trade war, indeed.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by PartTimeZombie on Monday March 25 2019, @08:51PM (5 children)
They're not bribes if they're legal, and in the US campaign contributions are legal, so not bribes.
It is how your government is set up and is going to cause worse problems than this at some point.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday March 25 2019, @09:53PM (4 children)
The best government your money can buy, yes.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Monday March 25 2019, @10:18PM (3 children)
Not my government, but yes.
I think that's they way they like it.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday March 25 2019, @11:42PM (2 children)
Context was: "some US companies bribed some US government officials".
A pity that both NZ and Aus only asked "How high?" without a second though when asked by US to jump.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday March 26 2019, @12:01AM (1 child)
I'm not sure about Australia, but the New Zealand government is so frightened of angering our trade partners that we tolerate a Chinese spy sitting in our parliament. [newsroom.co.nz]
We also give citizenship to wealthy foreigners despite the fact they fit exactly none of the criterion. [theguardian.com]
So jumping is just something we do.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Tuesday March 26 2019, @12:40AM
Our mileage may vary.
Politics:
Sam Dastyari [wikipedia.org] - just "sponsored" by Chinese, resigned from Senate.
Pierre Yang, WA state MP [abc.net.au] - "resigned" from two Chima-govt supported organizations.
Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo wants back his ($2.7M) donations to Aus parties after failing in citizenship bid [abc.net.au]
Former chief spy warned about China playing "soft-power" at unprecedented levels [abc.net.au]
Business:
Chinese investment in real estate dropped (starting Sep 2017) [mpamagazine.com.au] then seems to be raising again [businessinsider.com.au] (driven by a cheaper AUD).
Foreign ownership of (irrigation) water entitlements reveals China and US are the biggest investors [abc.net.au]
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 25 2019, @11:57AM (6 children)
You'd have to be an idiot to let your adversary build your communications nodes. No evidence is needed. The NSA knows how easy it is to slip backdoors into systems.
Whether China is more of an adversary to the EU than the US is a different question.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 25 2019, @12:22PM (1 child)
The rumour has been around for a number of years that the US aircraft shipped to 'fellow NATO members' can be remotely and transparently 'fucked with' from the larger US EW platforms via backdoors in the avionics.
Being fair, I've heard similar about Russian gear, but the context I remember the USian trickery being discussed was in relation to the Greeks and Turks ever getting 'hot and bothered', and it being deployed to shut down the Greeks.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 29 2019, @03:42PM
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/03/28/f35_software_fail/ [theregister.co.uk]
Hmmmm..
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 25 2019, @03:25PM
With that in mind the EU is working towards banning Cisco and Google one fine at a time. And once everyone has their own economy but nothing political is actually resolved, we can have our long desired WW3.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Tokolosh on Monday March 25 2019, @03:28PM (1 child)
So I guess Nokia is the best option.
(Score: 3, Funny) by linkdude64 on Monday March 25 2019, @05:13PM
PERKELE!!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 25 2019, @10:35PM
You'd have to be an idiot to send cleartext data over comms infrastructure that persons you don't trust have built. So make sure your data is encrypted and check for integrity at your endpoints. Then you shouldn't have to care who is listening in the middle.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 26 2019, @01:17AM
I think their wrongdoing consists of not putting in the five-eyes mandated backdoors.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by darkfeline on Tuesday March 26 2019, @04:02AM
The fact that Huawei is a successful Chinese company is evidence of their wrongdoing. There are no large successful Chinese companies that aren't in bed with the PRC/Communist Party, because success in China requires that you be butt buddies with the PRC. It's like claiming illegal income on your tax return, it is ipso facto evidence.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 25 2019, @02:17PM
The fourth dimension of this thing, is the national cyberdefence departments on the rise in every memberstate of the EU and their attempt to use a government backed mandate to force companies into their sandboxing monitoring network. That is a digusting thing that we need to follow very closely in the EU.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday March 25 2019, @05:05PM (1 child)
Something like this can't be hidden forever. Either, it will come to light that indeed Huawei and / or the Chinese government was/is actively doing so or it will be bogus and essentially part of the Trade War between the US/China.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 25 2019, @06:32PM
Doesn't have to be hidden if it can be denied. The client says a device is spying. It's dissected and we discover it is running non-standard firmware. Huawei says they shipped it with standard firmware. The blame finger is pointed away from Huawei and towards some invisible middle-man. YW