In Europe, Washington's counter-Huawei strategy needs to be restarted

Corona virus-induced economic crisis could send cheap shopping to Europe for vital infrastructure. In ways that can be dangerous. Against US objections, Europe's argument for moving forward with the introduction of Huawei 5G technology has long focused on reducing costs. The US call for a ban on Chinese telecommunications firm's 5G devices on European networks has failed to find a foothold in most European capitals. Only a handful of countries have echoed US demands for tougher sanctions to comply with the recently released EU toolbox for 5G security, and even fewer have openly opposed the ban. What is the demand?

The United States has highlighted the threats posed by Huawei to national security, including the threat of espionage. Given the Chinese community's effective control over Huawei, data integrity is a concern. More serious is the potential to undermine critical infrastructure. 5G will be the backbone of the control needed for communications and power grids, water supply, and transportation infrastructure. In January, the UK announced that it would allow Huawei equipment on 35% of its 5G networks.

Still, there are bright spots. Estonia and Poland have announced stronger sanctions to ensure the security of 5G networks, and some lawmakers, such as Duncan Smith in the UK and Norbert Rutgen in Germany, have opposed Huawei's inclusion in their networks. Has given up hope that a clear vision assessment will prevail. Recently, technology industry leaders for open radio access networks have sent a letter to the Defense Committee of the US House of Commons in which It has been urged to abandon the implementation of Huawei technology. Given the non-response effect across Europe, where should the United States go from here? It can still put pressure on countries that are on the fence, but it will need to change the tech.

On the one hand, the United States should form a multilateral alliance with its European allies, such as Poland, the Czech Republic, and Estonia, to begin discussions on Huawei's role in Europe. Many European countries see Washington as a self-interested messenger and see its fight against Huawei as merely part of a geopolitical game against China. That's the decent thing to do, and it should end there.

Finally, the United States should pay more attention to these values ​​and values ​​in order to refuse to purchase Chinese telecommunications equipment with its European partners. A big part of Huawei's success in Europe is its massive lobbying campaign to convince Europe that it is a reliable vendor. Huawei launched a campaign to highlight its so-called common values ​​with Europe. Huawei has compared voting to Huawei 5G to voting in favor of European values. Largely missing from the 5G debate is the fact that China, in general, and Huawei in particular, on suppressing and isolating Uighurs in Xinjiang, confronting protesters in Hong Kong, and on the daily lives of all Chinese Use 5G technologies as part of your campaign to gain more control. . Buying Huawei kits subsidizes actions - which are themselves against the basic values ​​of the European Union.

The United States' balanced approach to 5G has not worked in Europe, and it should recover with a reasonable, positive strategy and abandon the blunt approach of the last two years. To do so, Washington needs to lead together with key European partners, offering a new European technical partnership, strong trade relations and a united front on common principles and values. Above all, it means treating Europe as a friend, partner and ally.