The European Union (EU) seems to find itself in a contradictory position vis-à-vis the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, since despite sanctions which seem imminent, the bloc continues to finance the company’s projects.
While there was talk of banning Huawei from participating in EU 5G infrastructure projects over security concerns just a week ago, reports surfaced that the European Union was funding Huawei for research. on next-generation communication systems.
Indeed, according to the Financial Times, Huawei participates in 11 projects under Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme. These projects cover various advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, 6G, cloud computing, quantum sensing, connectivity and autonomous driving.
EU continues to bet on Huawei despite sanctions
To everyone’s surprise, Huawei would have received around 14% of the financing, which amounts to nearly 4 million euros. In return, the company would provide infrastructure equipment and artificial intelligence platforms for these projects. Huawei’s inclusion in such sensitive initiatives has raised eyebrows and raised concerns about the security implications.
John Strand, founder of Danish consultancy Strand Consult, argues that involving Huawei in these projects comes down to ” invite someone you don’t trust into your secret offices “. Since the company is perceived as a threat to EU security, this poses potential risks to Europe’s security and the Union’s goal of achieving self-sufficiency.
Huawei, for its part, stresses the importance of international cooperation and says its participation in Horizon Europe has been independently assessed by expert panels selected by the EU. The company has consistently denied allegations that it poses a national security threat and maintains that it operates independently of the Chinese government.
The US government Huawei has long considered a potential spy tool, suggesting that the Chinese government could exploit the company’s infrastructure to gain unauthorized access. As a result, several countries, including some EU member states, have already banned Huawei from participating in their 5G infrastructure projects.
We therefore find ourselves faced with an apparent contradiction between the EU’s discussions of banning Huawei from participating in 5G and its funding of the company’s research projects. However, companies that dared to break the embargo against Huawei were fined heavily.
Source : FinancialTimes
