America is Unhappy Again! Washington Expresses Displeasure to Madrid Over the Contract Signed by Spain's Interior Ministry with Huawei
According to a report by Spain's El Pais, the U.S. authorities have expressed their dissatisfaction to Madrid regarding the contract signed by Spain's Interior Ministry with Huawei for storing judicially authorized wiretap data.
Previously, the Spanish Interior Ministry signed a contract worth 12.3 million euros with Huawei to store wiretap data used by law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the country. Madrid assured that the agreement would not pose a threat to national security, as it is a closed storage facility with no connection to the outside world, eliminating the possibility of data leaks.
El Pais cited sources reporting that the U.S. authorities expressed their dissatisfaction and clearly stated that cooperating with Huawei is a red line. A spokesperson for the Spanish Interior Ministry told the media that the contract "complies with the cybersecurity regulations set by the Spanish National Cryptologic Center." The spokesperson also said that this transaction does not involve "any security risks."
Officials and analysts from the EU and the U.S. have warned that this contract indeed poses significant issues. The European Commission has pointed out that "the risk associated with Huawei is significantly higher" than other telecommunications providers. Brussels has asked EU countries to impose restrictions on "high-risk suppliers" like Huawei and ZTE and prevent them from entering their 5G networks.
El Pais reported that the disagreement between the U.S. and Spanish governments over this issue does not affect military bases used in operations in Iran and elsewhere. Although two important naval and air force bases in Spain are occupied by the U.S., the government of Sanchez remains tense with the Trump administration.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839703896421388/
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