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US Pressures Spain on Chinese Tech Firms

Martin Arostegui

   MADRID - The U.S. government warned Spain this week about the security
   risk inherent in opening its fifth-generation communications networks
   to Chinese mobile technology providers.

   In meetings Thursday and Friday,U.S. officialswarnedSpanish officials
   and telecommunications executivesthat theU.S. could stop sharing
   sensitive information with Spain if the Chinese firms reportedly
   involved in 5G technologywere not excluded from local markets.

   Robert Strayer,U.S.deputy assistant secretary for cyber and
   international communications and information policy, told reportersat
   the U.S. Embassy in Madridthat 5G pioneer Huaweiwas under the control
   of the Chinese government.

   Defense implications

   "We cannot put our important information at the risk of being accessed
   by the ChineseCommunistParty," Strayer said, stressing that technology
   developed by Huawei to accelerate connections between billions of
   objects has inevitabledefenseimplications.

   Huawei offers better 5G network equipment at lower prices
   thanitscompetitors, according to telecommunications analysts. U.S.
   efforts to restrict the company's access to major international markets
   have been rebuffed by allies in Europe and Asia.

   The U.K. announced in late January that it would allow Huawei to equip
   parts of its 5G networks. Similar decisions have been made by Germany
   and other EU governments.

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