Huawei 'surprised' by Slovenia's joint statement on 5G networks with USA

NEWS 14.08.202015:01
NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP

Representatives of Huawei in Slovenia have said that that Chinese technological giant meets all cyber security standards and does not pose a threat to Slovenia, a comment on the Slovenian government's decision to sign with the USA a statement on the security of 5G technology.

Even though the statement on security conditions for the introduction of G5 technology, signed on Thursday by visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Slovenian Foreign Minister Anze Logar, does not explicitly mention Huawei, the company believes that it is an attempt at discrimination by the United States, and it rejects suspicions that Huawei can use technological equipment to spy for China.

Huawei’s owners are its employees, there is no room for our government here. Huawei does not pose a threat to Slovenia, the head of the corporation’s branch in Slovenia, Histro Zhangqin, told a news conference in Ljubljana on Friday.

Huawei Technologies Vice-President Radoslaw Kedzia said they were concerned because one could infer from the Slovenia-US statement that it is directed against the competition and against Huawei as a global corporation based in China that has come a long way in developing 5G technology in relation to other companies.

Any discrimination or restrictions on the free market always have a negative effect on a country, Kedzia warned, adding that Huawei employs 194,000 people, half of them in research and development.

The corporation has a leading position at the global level and is second in terms of the number of 5G technology patents and investment in cyber security, he stressed.

The signing of the joint statement with the United States will, for Slovenia, mean slower digital transformation and development of digital technology because the country will be forced to use solutions that are not as advanced as those developed by Huawei, the company’s officials warned, adding that they were surprised the Slovenian government had opted for such a move.