Western allies adopt 5G security guidelines and warn against outside influence

* US wants to limit role of Chinese companies in 5G networks

* Huawei, in the United States, calls for a "non-motivated" approach

* Participants continue to discuss the issue of security in national markets

By Michael Kahn and Jan Lopatka

PRAGUE, May 3 (Reuters) – Global security officials agreed Friday on a series of proposals for future 5G networks, highlighting concerns over equipment provided by suppliers likely to be subject to Influence of the state.

No supplier has been named, but the United States has asked its allies to limit the role of Chinese telecom equipment manufacturers such as Huawei Technologies, fearing that their equipment could be used by Beijing to purposes of espionage. Huawei denies it.

"The overall risk of a third country's influence on a supplier needs to be taken into account," conference participants in the Czech capital said in a non-binding agreement released on the last day of the meeting. two days.

Representatives from 30 countries of the European Union, NATO and countries such as the United States, Germany, Japan and Australia attended the meeting in order to provide an overview of practices that may constitute a coordinated approach to security measures and shared policy measures.

Diplomatic sources said the participating countries were not ready to sign any documents in Prague because they had not closed the debate on the issue in their country but called on participants to take advantage of impetus given to them.

"It would be a shame if it was a unique event," said Masato Ohtaka, Japan's ambassador to cyber policy.

Neither China nor Huawei were invited to the event, although participants said no country or company had been singled out.

Western concerns about Huawei are centered on the 2017 National Intelligence Law, which states that "Chinese organizations and citizens must, in accordance with the law, support, cooperate and collaborate in national intelligence work".

Huawei was not immediately available to comment on Friday. On Thursday, he said he hoped the meeting would seek a more scientific and "unmoderated" approach to technology. He stated that he supported standards based on "facts and evidence".

The final document examined the impact of 5G on policy, technology, economics and security, with general recommendations on how best to mitigate potential risks.

"All stakeholders, including industry, need to work together to promote the security and resilience of networks, systems and devices connected to critical national infrastructures," the paper says.

The issue of security is crucial because of the leading role played by 5G in Internet-connected products, ranging from autonomous cars to smart cities to augmented reality and artificial intelligence. If the underlying technology is vulnerable, hackers could exploit these products to spy on or disrupt them.

Europe – where Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Lithuania and Portugal are preparing to auction 5G licenses this year – has become a battleground for Huawei's next-generation technology. (Report by Jan Lopatka edited by Edmund Blair)