The United States has warned Hungary and other European allies to stop doing business with Chinese telecom giant Huawei. This warning was communicated by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in Budapest. Pompeo is on a five-day European tour to five EU nations, and hopes to deliver the same message to the other nations.
Pompeo is already in Hungary, and will later go to Slovakia before heading to Poland. He will thereafter proceed to Belgium and Iceland before returning back home to the States.
The US has always expressed serious concerns about the activities of Huawei, saying it is carrying out Chinese agenda in the countries where it is operating, including in Hungary. Pompeo said China and Russia have dominated Central Europe to the detriment of US’ interests, and that EU countries would have to choose between the United States and doing business with Huawei.
Pompeo further stated that it is the US’ responsibility to warn Hungary and other European allies about the dangers Huawei presents to them. And that it will be left to those nations to do what they like with the information. The warning becomes more imperative considering that these countries are relying on Huawei for 5G wireless technologies which will make internet speeds faster while also connecting various devices together.
“They get to make their own decisions,” Pompeo. “What is imperative is that we share with them the things we know about the risks that Huawei’s presence in their networks present — actual risks to their people, to the loss of privacy protections for their own people, to the risk that China will use this in a way that is not in the best interest of Hungary.”
The United States further warned that if the countries allow Huawei to install its infrastructure where American systems are situated, then it will surely drive America and such countries farther apart. The US said China is always deploying her technologies to steal trade secrets and compromise the security of nations where she operates. But China said the accusations do not make sense, and that America is only trying to suppress healthy competition.
Szijjarto disclosed that it is true Huawei operates in Hungary, but its position does not threaten Hungarian-US relations in any way. He added that the entire Hungarian business relation with China is only 1.2% of the European Union trade with the communist country.
Pompeo said China and Russia have taken advantage of US absence in Central Europe over a 10-year period to exploit trade to their favour.
“We must not let Putin drive wedges between friends in NATO,” he said. “Russia and China are authoritarian powers who do not share our joint aspirations of freedom.”