Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported that the European Commission is exploring ways to force EU member states to gradually remove Huawei and ZTE equipment from their telecommunications networks. European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen plans to translate the Commission’s 2020 recommendation to stop using high-risk vendors in mobile networks into a legally binding requirement.
As trade and political relations with China and EU become increasingly strained, EU is increasingly concerned about the risks posed by Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturers. There are concerns that handing control of critical national infrastructure to companies with close ties to Beijing could harm national security interests. Amidst the global push for rapid deployment of high-speed fiber optic cables to expand high-speed internet access, Virkkunen is also exploring restrictions on the use of Chinese telecommunications equipment suppliers in fixed-line networks.
The European Commission is also considering measures to compel non-EU countries to reduce their reliance on Chinese telecommunications equipment suppliers, including halting payments to countries that purchase Huawei equipment through the Global Gateway program. The Global Gateway Program is a global infrastructure investment strategy proposed by the European Union, with a planned investment of up to 300 billion Euros between 2021 and 2027.
Although the UK and Sweden banned the use of Chinese telecommunications equipment suppliers many years ago, countries such as Spain and Greece still allow Chinese equipment in their domestic communication networks. EU China hawks warn that this inconsistency will pose significant security risks.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao, November 11, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20251111-7799149