Poland will present its position on Huawei by end of June - minister
The Polish government will develop and present its position on the issue of Chinese tech giant Huawei to the European Commission (EC) by the end of June, Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Wanda Buk said on Thursday.
When asked about the Poland's position on the Huawei issue, Deputy Minister Buk noted that according to the European Commission's arrangements, the Polish government will present its position by the end of June.
"We are working on this case. We have engaged a lot of entities, not only the Ministry of Digital Affairs, but also the apporpriate services and research institutes," Buk said on Thursday.
When asked about the potential solutions for Poland's saying 'no' to a Chinese 5G network, Buk pointed out that the market would become less competitive, which would entail among others more expensive services. She also stated that the possible exclusion of Huawei's services "is not equivalent to delaying the implemention of a 5G network in Poland."
In mid-May, the US Department of Commerce placed Huawei Technologies and 70 related companies on a trade blacklist, which has significantly hindered supply to the Chinese company of parts and components of American suppliers. This will also impede sales of Huawei appliances on the American market. The US government considers the Chinese technology giant a security threat.
Following the US Department of Commerce's decision, US President Donald Trump issued a regulation prohibiting American telecommunications networks from purchasing and using equipment of companies that could pose a threat to national security. Recently, however, the US Department of Commerce temporarily eased sanctions against the Huawei concern to minimise disruption to the company's clients.
At the end of March, the EC recommended a three-step risk verification procedure for the construction of 5G mobile networks by Chinese companies. The member states have time to develop and implement their own security rules for 5G. The EC has voiced specific concerns about Huawei. In 2017, China adopted a law on artificial intelligence, under which all manufacturers, of hardware or software, must cooperate with that country's special services.
