China Demands Equal Treatment After EU Imposes Ban on Huawei and ZTE

On Friday, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry expressed strong opposition to the ban on Huawei by certain EU countries and stated that the European Commission lacks legal grounds and factual proof to prohibit the Chinese telecommunications company.

ZTE, which was also mentioned as a risky supplier by EU industry director Thierry Breton, criticized the decision to ban its devices on the Commission’s network and in EU countries.

On Thursday, Breton urged more EU countries to join the 10 that have restricted or banned Huawei and ZTE from using their 5G telecom networks, citing risks to the bloc’s collective security.

He said both companies will also be banned from EU-funded projects.

Huawei has criticized the move, saying it is not based on a revised, transparent, objective and technical assessment of 5G networks.

A Huawei spokesperson said that publicly naming an individual company as a risky vendor without a legal basis is against free trade principles.

“As an EU economic operator, Huawei has procedural and substantive rights and should be protected under EU and member state laws and international commitments,” the person said.

ZTE said it should be treated just like its competitors.

“ZTE’s only request is that regulators and lawmakers treat it fairly and objectively — just like any other vendor,” the company said in an email.

“We welcome external evaluation and monitoring of our products at any time by regulatory authorities and technical oversight bodies.”

Several countries, including Germany, have been slow to implement EU security measures for 5G networks, which were agreed three years ago to limit the use of “high-risk suppliers” such as Huawei due to potential sabotage or espionage.

Telecom operators across Europe have been using Huawei equipment because it was cheaper than competitors and worked just as well, making it difficult for companies to choose more expensive options.