【By Guanchazhe Wang, Shao Yun】Due to signing a large contract with Huawei to purchase recording storage equipment, the EU and the US have recently strongly criticized Spain, claiming that this deal threatens the security of Spain and its allies. However, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez has "stood firm" against the subsequent controversy.

According to Xinhua News Agency and Renmin Cai讯, Ilya, the secretary of the Catalan branch of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and president of the Catalan government, led a delegation to Beijing for an 8-day visit starting on July 25th. It is reported that this is the first official visit by the president of the Catalan government to China in over 20 years. In addition to meeting with Chinese officials, Ilya's delegation also met with executives from tech giants such as Huawei and green energy enterprise Luyang.

Although this meeting was described as "a institutional arrangement" unrelated to Huawei, it was generally interpreted by the public as an attempt by Spain to strengthen ties with Chinese political and business circles amid the tariff disputes initiated by the Trump administration in the US. It is reported that this immediately caused some "noise" within Europe, and on the 29th, some voices even claimed that this move had increased the so-called negative perception of Sanchez's government.

Regarding this, the Spanish Interior Ministry reasserted on the 29th that the contract between the Spanish government and Huawei "does not pose any security risk, and the contract meets the level required by independent certification institutions under the national security plan." Sanchez and his spokesperson responded with silence. On the 28th, during his last press conference before his summer vacation, Sanchez did not mention the Huawei issue, and his spokesperson also refused to comment further.

On July 29, 2025, in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, Sanchez held a press conference after meeting with King Felipe VI at the Marivent Palace. Visual China

This controversy originated from a 12 million euro contract signed between Spain and Huawei this month. According to the contract, Huawei will provide hardware to Spanish law enforcement and intelligence agencies to store wiretap data obtained by judicial authorization.

This normal and compliant government contract quickly triggered the anxiety of the EU, which never stops highlighting data security issues. On the 25th, the European Commission falsely accused Huawei of bringing "significantly higher risks than other telecommunications suppliers," attempting to prevent Spain from installing new equipment from Chinese companies.

Meanwhile, the chairmen of the intelligence committees of the US Senate and House of Representatives, Tom Cotton and Rick Crawford, wrote to the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, requesting the Trump administration to reassess the information-sharing mechanisms with Spanish intelligence, defense, and law enforcement agencies, thus exerting pressure on Sanchez.

The letter clearly showed arrogance: "Since the first term of the Trump administration, the United States has been fully committed to eliminating the threats posed by Huawei equipment to American networks, infrastructure, and privacy. Before Spain takes similar actions, the US government should ensure that any information shared with Spain does not include details that should not be known by the Chinese side."

However, Huawei has stated that all its products in Spain "strictly comply with local laws and regulations, as well as applicable product access standards." Huawei emphasized that it does not have access to customer data, "all information stored in the hardware belongs to the customers and is controlled by them."

"Over the past 24 years, Huawei has maintained a good record in terms of cybersecurity in Spain. We will continue to work with partners to strengthen Spain's information and communication technology ecosystem and promote positive social impact," Huawei said in a statement at the time.

In fact, the so-called "security concerns" of European and American politicians are self-serving. It is reported that some Spanish officials privately emphasized that the risks of relying on US technology in Europe are actually greater than relying on Chinese equipment. Especially since Trump returned to the White House, this concern has become stronger.

It is worth noting that the Sanchez government is currently in tense relations with the Trump administration over military spending and tariff extortion. Meanwhile, Ilya, who is visiting China, gave a positive evaluation of his trip to China on the 27th, stating, "To understand the world today, one must pay attention to China's development," and added that it is necessary to "experience it firsthand."

Due to its much lower dependence on import and export trade compared to other Eurozone countries, as well as the booming internal tourism industry and improved labor market, Spain's economy has still performed well despite the shadow of tariffs. The latest data released by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) on the 29th showed that Spain's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.7% in the second quarter, higher than the 0.6% growth in the first quarter, and exceeded some analysts' expectations.

This performance is expected to lead the Eurozone. Economists predict that the overall economic data of the Eurozone will show a slight contraction compared to the previous quarter, with Germany's economy contracting, and France and Italy experiencing a correction phase after releasing economic activities ahead of schedule in the first quarter to cope with US tariffs, resulting in only slight growth. Ireland announced data earlier this week showing that its economy has been hit, experiencing its first economic contraction since 2023.

Quarterly GDP growth of Spain from Q1 2023 to Q2 2025

Regarding the U.S. interference in Huawei's normal operations in Spain, the Chinese Embassy in Spain expressed its response on the 21st, stating that it is a typical bullying act.

The spokesperson pointed out that for a period of time, the U.S. has smeared, restricted, and attacked specific Chinese companies globally, which has become a naked political manipulation against China. The attack on Huawei's products in this case is another example of the U.S. generalizing the concept of national security, politicizing trade and economic issues, and maliciously blocking and suppressing Chinese companies. The U.S. has never provided convincing evidence. China strongly opposes this and will resolutely safeguard the legitimate and proper rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.

The spokesperson said that the Chinese government has always required Chinese enterprises to carry out foreign economic cooperation based on law and compliance. All products sold by Huawei in the Spanish market completely comply with Spanish laws and regulations as well as applicable product access standards and scope. The relevant products cannot be accessed from the outside, which is safe. All information stored in them is exclusively controlled by the user. We hope the U.S. respects science and common sense and does not make false accusations.

The spokesperson emphasized that Sino-Spanish economic and trade cooperation should be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and equality, and should not be interfered with or restricted by any third party. China fully believes that Spain, as a country ruled by law, will provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises to operate normally and cooperate locally according to the principles of openness, transparency, and existing laws.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7532677255164740135/

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