Pompeo Warns Allies About Using Equipment from Chinese Company Huawei

Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, warned on Monday, February 11, about the use of communication equipment from the Chinese company Huawei by U.S. allies, stating that it would complicate "U.S. cooperation" with those allies. According to Reuters, Pompeo said at a press conference in Budapest, Hungary, "We want to ensure that all the positives and at the same time the risks of using this equipment are clear to our allies." During his regional trip, Pompeo will also visit Slovakia and Poland. According to U.S. government officials, this trip is part of Washington's efforts to compensate for its weak presence in the region, which has opened the door to increased influence from Russia and China. Washington is particularly concerned about Huawei's growing presence, the world's largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, in Hungary and Poland. The U.S. and its Western allies believe that Huawei's equipment could be used for espionage activities and view the company's expansion in Central Europe as an attempt to gain a foothold in the European Union market. Reuters adds that Huawei has denied any involvement in espionage for any country. The company claims that its equipment currently serves 70% of Hungary's population and collaborates with most telecommunications service providers in the country, including the state-owned communications company. Pompeo will also participate in a Middle East conference hosted by Poland, where the U.S. aims to build a coalition against the Iranian government. At the same time, it is expected that the U.S. Secretary of State will raise concerns about regional countries' cooperation with Russia in the energy sector and will urge the Hungarian government not to support the TurkStream pipeline project, which is one of Russia's plans to bypass Ukraine in gas transportation to Europe. Hungary imports most of its gas from Russia, and its main source of electricity is the Paks nuclear power plant, in which the Russian company Rosatom is involved in a €12.5 billion development project. Hungary is also one of the EU members with the highest level of Chinese investment.