China's envoy to the EU attacks the "slander" of Huawei's security

BRUSSELS (Financial Times) – The Beijing ambbadador to the EU has launched a fierce attack on the "defamation" and "discrimination" suffered by Huawei and other Chinese companies in Europe, warning that efforts to exclude China from 5G mobile phone projects would be self-controlled defeat.

Ambbadador Zhang Ming warned that any attempt to limit the involvement of Chinese technology in future European high-speed 5G mobile networks projects could have "serious consequences" for cooperation economic and scientific world.

The remarks of the top diplomat came in an interview in Brussels that highlighted the growing tensions between Europe and China, but also the areas in which joint action could be undertaken in the face of the rise of the economy. American unilateralism.

"There is no need to slander, discriminate, pressure, coerce or speculate against anyone," Zhang said of the cybersecurity concerns of Chinese companies that have in Europe, while the United States has called for an increasingly tough line.

"At present, someone is saving no effort to fabricate a security story about Huawei," he said. "I do not think this story has anything to do with security."

Technological security is one of the many areas of increasing friction between the EU and China as European countries oppose Beijing on trade, investment and competition policy aspects.

The EU seeks to strengthen the control and protection of Chinese technology companies while 5G could become deeply embedded in companies, through its use for applications ranging from road management to rail to device control household.

The concern has been fueled by warnings from countries such as the United States, Japan and Australia, as well as by cases in the EU, such as espionage charges. launched this month by Poland against a leader of Huawei – that the company then sacked for discredit. .

Vodafone announced last week that it would "pause" the purchase of Huawei equipment intended for the heart of its new 5G networks in Europe and that it would talk with the governments to "get the facts on the table".

Mr. Zhang warned that global industrial, supply and value chains were "closely intertwined" in the 5G market – on which Huawei is a leading equipment manufacturer – and therefore could not be "artificially and deliberately cut" by anyone.

This would be "very irresponsible", he said, and could lead to "grave consequences for global economic and scientific cooperation".

Asked about China's reaction if EU countries pledge on a path deemed discriminatory, Mr. Zhang said that Beijing would seek dialogue and would appeal to the commitment of the Chinese government. Europe towards a "rule-based world order". "But whatever it is, I do not think protectionism is a good way out.Cooperation is essential."

Even as tensions between Brussels and Beijing on security have increased, the nationalist policies of Donald Trump, president of the United States, are bringing the EU and China in other areas, prompting them to seek a common cause for the defense of multilateral institutions and agreements, such as the Iranian nuclear deal.

Stressing that China's interests were in a "strong and united Europe", Mr. Zhang called on Great Britain and the European Union to manage Brexit in a "cautious" manner with an orderly process "minimizing 39, impact on the global economy ".

Mr. Zhang has denied the hacking of European diplomatic cables published last December, allegedly committed by a group linked to the People's Liberation Army, as claimed by the cybersecurity company that revealed the offense. . He said: "As our great friend said: false news."

The envoy said that some Chinese investors worried about projects in Brussels of enhanced filtering of foreign direct investment, although he did not personally believe that the measure was aimed at Beijing. He described as discriminatory other European policies, including trade defense measures and an arms embargo in place after the 1989 Tiananmen Square mbadacre.

He added that Beijing's European criticism of its internment of ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region showed "insufficient knowledge of the real situation, or are trying to turn a blind eye to what China has achieved".

Mr. Zhang also reprimanded critics in Brussels and some European capitals who feared that Beijing would try to divide the EU through initiatives such as the 16 + 1 group consisting of China and the states of China. Central and Eastern Europe, of which 11 belong to the EU.

"Divide Europe is not in the interest of China," he said. "China has never changed its position, that the process of European integration is proceeding smoothly or that it is encountering obstacles."

The ambbadador also downplayed concerns expressed in countries such as Poland that Chinese infrastructure projects have little money. He said that he was not aware of Poland's experience, adding that anyway, individual cases did not "represent the overall situation".

"Just one example: the road ahead of my mission has been under construction for three years," he said, pointing to his window. "And if similar things happen in China, it would be very unacceptable."