US Officials Pressure Global Carriers to Reject Huawei at MWC
US officials lobby global telecom carriers at Mobile World Congress to abandon Huawei over unproven spying claims, while the Chinese tech giant fights back with new 5G contracts and a bit of humor.
US officials arrive at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to pressure global telecommunications carriers against using Huawei equipment. The State Department's head of cybersecurity claims Huawei gear is vulnerable to Chinese espionage, but provides no specific evidence to support these serious allegations.
Huawei executives firmly reject the accusations and highlight their strong market position by noting they already sign 5G contracts with 30 carriers, including 18 in Europe. Rotating chairman Guo Ping mocks the US concerns by referencing the NSA's Prism surveillance program, asking the audience who is actually the most trustworthy of them all.
Despite the intense US lobbying and an upcoming executive order to ban Huawei gear from American networks, some key US allies like Germany and the UK show willingness to allow Huawei in their markets. The company also distracts from the political drama by generating positive press for its new foldable smartphone featuring an 8-inch screen.