The current conflict between the United States and Huawei does not seem to have spread to Europe. The day after its meeting with the European Commission on 4 March, the Chinese equipment manufacturer inaugurated its cybersecurity centre, designed to enable “interaction” between the various players (Huawei, the Belgian and European authorities, and telecommunications operators).
The centre, which is the third of its kind, is located a short distance from the European institutions. It is open to customers and independent, third-party test organisations. The day before, European Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip and Huawei President and CEO Ken Hu discussed issues related to cybersecurity, 5G and the digital single market. Vice-President Ansip took the opportunity to remind Huawei that the European market is a rules-based, open market for all actors that comply with EU rules. However, he called for some reciprocity in the opening up of the respective markets. As for Huawei, it announced after the event that it was ready to collaborate with the EU, and that it gave the highest priority to cybersecurity and the protection of user privacy. It also stressed that, for Huawei, cybersecurity is a matter of “Security or Nothing”.
Across the Atlantic, the situation is much tenser: according to the Financial Times, Huawei is about to sue the US government on the grounds that the United States prohibits its public agencies from buying Huawei equipment. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)