Many countries are wary of Huawei regarding information security

In recent years, Huawei has been accused of violating sanctions against Iran and North Korea by supplying telecommunications equipment to the two countries. Moreover, it can be used to monitor people. Several countries have warned against using Chinese-made equipment because of suspicions that Beijing uses Huawei products to spy on people around the world.

However, much of the concern comes from Huawei’s growing influence as the company plans to provide 5G technology globally. Huawei has denied all allegations that it could be involved in intelligence gathering for the Chinese government. However, some countries have said they will not allow Huawei to participate in 5G trials, and many are considering the issue.

America

The US is China's biggest economic rival as well as a global intelligence-gathering power. Washington fears Beijing will gain access to sensitive user information, such as location data, and could pose a potential threat to critical infrastructure.

To counter this risk, US lawmakers have urged Internet service provider AT&T to reconsider its dealings with Huawei. In 2012, Washington also launched an investigation into Huawei and ZTE, another Chinese telecommunications company, to determine whether their equipment posed a threat to US interests.

The US Congress later concluded that "Huawei failed to fully cooperate with the investigation and was unwilling to explain its relationship with the Chinese government or Communist Party, while there was credible evidence that the company did not comply with US law".

Since then, the US has been trying to block its allies from using Huawei technology, especially members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the UK, because these countries have intelligence agencies that share information on a large scale. The US has also tried to convince other countries such as Germany not to allow Huawei to provide technology in the near future.

Australia

The Australian government announced in August that companies “likely to be subject to foreign government direction” would not be allowed to provide 5G technology, a reference to Huawei. The Chinese company currently provides Australia’s 4G network, but the advent of 5G will see more products connected to the internet in the near future.

Following Australia's decision, Huawei said there was no fundamental difference between 4G and 5G, except that 5G provided better security, adding that Australia's allegations were not based on facts.

New Zealand

In November, New Zealand announced a similar move to Australia, rejecting mobile carrier Spark's proposal to use Huawei equipment for its 5G network.

"I have informed Spark that a serious security risk has been identified," said Andrew Hampton, director general of the New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau, without giving details of the risks.

Older brother

As the second most important member of the Five Eyes group, Britain has been repeatedly called upon by its allies to ban Huawei from its 5G networks. So far, the UK has not done so, but the government is discussing special measures.

Earlier this month, the head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Alex Younger, also expressed doubts about Huawei. In a 2013 report, the British government concluded that while there was no direct evidence that Huawei caused harm, the company’s partial responsibility for critical technology could pose risks.

Before the government made its decision, British telecommunications company BT announced on December 5 that it would not use Huawei technology as the backbone of its upcoming 5G network, and would remove Huawei products from its 3G and 4G networks.

Canada

Under the influence of the Five Eyes countries, Canada is also considering the risks posed by Huawei technology. The country's press revealed that US lawmakers have discussed with Canadian officials and companies about banning the deployment of Huawei technology in 5G networks.

"While Canada has strong security measures in place, we remain deeply concerned that they are not sufficient to address what the United States and other allies have discovered about Huawei," Senators Mark Warner and Marco Rubio wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE) announced in September that it had been testing Huawei equipment for several years to determine whether it posed a threat to the country. However, Canadian media reported that telecommunications companies have yet to announce a ban on Huawei equipment.

Virtue

Germany, a key Five Eyes ally, is still using Huawei technology and has yet to make a decision. Officials said last month they were planning to persuade the government to consider excluding Chinese companies like Huawei from building its 5G network.

"The concerns are very serious. If the decision were up to us, we would do the same as Australia," a German official told Reuters.Reuters. The Foreign and Home Affairs ministries are said to have stepped up the government push after discussions with the US and Australia.

“We need to examine each case individually to ensure that critical infrastructure is protected. This could lead to the exclusion of Chinese companies from building 5G networks,” said MP Katharina Droege.

Japan

Japanese media reported on December 7 that the country plans to revise its internal rules on purchasing technology products from China. Accordingly, Japanese government agencies will be banned from purchasing telecommunications products from Huawei and ZTE.

The Japanese government declined to comment. However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said they had been in discussions with the US. "Cybersecurity is gradually becoming an important issue in Japan. We will take resolute measures to consider it from various angles," he said.

Japan is among the countries that currently rely heavily on Huawei equipment.

Italy and India

In addition to Japan, the US has also expressed concerns about Huawei to Italy, one of the countries that currently uses the Chinese company's products for its mobile internet system. However, Italy has not yet decided which company will provide equipment for its 5G network.

In September, Indian media reported that Huawei was banned from participating in 5G trials in the country, but shortly afterwards Huawei and the Indian government said the company had been invited to test equipment in the world's second-largest mobile market.

Anh Ngoc