U.S. and Poland Ink 5G Security Agreement Amid Anti-Huawei Campaign

U.S. and Poland Ink 5G Security Agreement Amid Anti-Huawei Campaign
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The U.S. and Poland agreed to a deal designed to secure 5G networks in the European country, according to Bloomberg. That move that could result in blocking Huawei and other Chinese telecommunications firms from its networks.

The deal with Poland comes as the U.S. has been courting companies to reject Chinese technology in their next generation of wireless networks, telling allies it could put their citizens’ data at risk of espionage. It was signed by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who’s visiting Warsaw for a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of World War II, and Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

“We believe that all countries must ensure that only trusted and reliable suppliers participate in our networks to protect them from unauthorized access or interference,“ according to the declaration, which doesn’t single out China or any companies.

It stipulates that suppliers should be given a “rigorous evaluation,“ including whether they are controlled by a foreign government, and be subject to “independent judicial review.“ They would also be vetted on whether they have a transparent ownership structure, a “record of ethical corporate behavior“ and if they’re “subject to a legal regime that enforces transparent corporate practices.“

Huawei, in a statement, said it has provided services to Poland for decades and trusts the nation’s government to make the right decisions for its citizens. “Huawei opposes the politicization of 5G technology,“ the company said. “We believe that managing cyber security should be based on facts and standardization, not on speculation and prejudice.“