Washington’s desperate search for a Huawei replacement

Washington’s desperate search for a Huawei replacement

By Horst Buchwald, 4.3.2020

After Europe failed to ban Huawei from its emerging 5G networks, Washington is no longer the whip but chaos and helplessness.
The UK’s decision to add Chinese telecommunications equipment to its network, despite the Trump administration’s threats to stop sharing information between its countries‘ intelligence agencies, is believed by insiders to show that these warnings will also evaporate in other European countries.
Against this increasingly clear background, Washington is hectic, uncoordinated – yes chaotic and helpless. For example, Attorney General William Barr suggested that the United States should consider taking control of two major Huawei foreign rivals (meaning Nokia and Ericsson). A little later the White House rejected the proposal. After that, US media talked about a senior White House official that the US is seeking a partnership with the telecommunications industry to offer alternatives to Huawei Technologies in China. Robert Blair, special representative of the White House for international telecommunications policy, said at the Munich Security Conference in Germany that a partnership is „very different from buying shares with taxpayers‘ money“.
But no matter what you call it – whether partnership or takeover – you are in the starting blocks in Europe. Because without 5G expansion, there would be no digitization and that would mean that US groups such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and others can expand their leadership positions even more.
There is currently no alternative to Huawei. The Chinese are now market leaders, they have the capacity and the know-how and offer this at an affordable price.
On the other hand, President Donald Trump’s threats that this is a violation of the Allied national security are obviously worthless because his intelligence officials have never provided a single proof that Huawei is building back doors into its technology for espionage purposes.
From London, however, it is said that British officials would not believe that the Americans would implement their threats because GCHQ, the British equivalent of the US National Security Agency, operates a hub for the „Five Eyes“ members – Australia, Great Britain , Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
Washington’s statement that British action would harm a burgeoning political friendship between Trump and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also clearly ignored.
And how will Berlin decide? The British have now actually paved the way for the Chancellor. That’s why she can’t help but join the British. If she were to be intimidated further, it would be a clear death sentence for the German economy.