The US is stepping up pressure on Europe to ditch Huawei

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned European countries on Monday that using technology from Huawei could hurt their relationship with the United States. Speaking in Hungary, the first stop in a five-nation European tour, Pompeo said the United States has an obligation to alert other governments to the risks of building networks with equipment from the Chinese telecommunications giant.
"What's imperative is that we share with them the things we know about the risks that Huawei's presence in their networks presents," he said. "Actual risks to their own people, to the loss of privacy protections for their own people, the risk that China will use this data in a way that is not in the best interest of Hungary."
If countries use Huawei equipment, "it makes it more difficult for us to partner alongside them," Pompeo said.
It's the latest effort by the US government to pressure countries around the world to keep Huawei out of the next generation of wireless networks, known as 5G, because of security concerns. The US campaign against one of China's leading companies has added to tensions between the two countries over the future of technology.
The Chinese government on Tuesday criticized Pompeo's remarks, accusing Washington of attempting to "sow discord between China and other countries."
The United States is "unscrupulously fabricating groundless accusations" and cracking down on the development of Chinese companies, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular media briefing. "These actions are unfair and immoral."
The US government has long been suspicious that Beijing could use Huawei equipment for spying but hasn't provided public evidence to support those concerns. There is particular concern about the security of 5G because it will be used to carry vast amounts of data that can connect robots, autonomous vehicles and other potentially sensitive devices.
Huawei, which is also one of the world's top smartphone makers, has repeatedly denied that its products pose a national security risk. It also maintains that it is a privately owned company with no ties to the Chinese government.
"We would encourage all governments to take an objective look at the evidence and maintain an open, engaged approach to 5G," William Wu, the CEO of Huawei Technologies Hungary, said in a statement. "Excluding one supplier from technological developments in cyber security will damage technical and economic progress and harm competition."