SUMMARY
- Thierry Breton, EU commissioner, pushes for more member nations to ban 'high-risk' suppliers like Huawei and ZTE from their 5G infrastructure.
- Breton highlights national security concerns as the key reason for their exclusion.
- China opposes the ban, asserting that the Commission lacks legal grounds for such prohibitions.
In a significant development, a senior European Union authority has urged more EU nations to exclude Chinese tech companies Huawei and ZTE from their 5G internet architecture, thereby escalating the already tense relationship with China's capital, Beijing.
Thierry Breton, the Commissioner for the internal market of the EU, has been voicing his desire for an expanded number of member countries to eliminate what he deems 'high-risk' providers, particularly Huawei and ZTE, from their advancements in mobile internet infrastructure. He cites concerns over national security as the primary reasoning for his advocacy.
Previously, in January 2020, the EU instituted a '5G cybersecurity toolbox', a mechanism created to ascertain potential risks linked to the incorporation of certain 5G infrastructure providers. This move was timed coincidentally as numerous countries, inclusive of the UK, contemplated proscribing Huawei based on security anxieties.
During a recent address, Breton emphasised, "For the member nations that are currently lagging in this issue, we will persist in our dedicated work with them as well as the telecommunications operators." The gravity of making swift decisions to exclude 'high-risk' providers from 5G networks was also underscored in his remarks.
Breton revealed that, to date, a mere 10 EU countries have limited or banned Huawei from their 5G network implementations. In contrast, China expressed strong objection to Huawei's prohibition in specific EU nations, citing lack of legal grounds for the ban.
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