Poland seeks joint stance on Huawei
HONG KONG/WARSAW: Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies Inc said on Saturday it had sacked an employee arrested in Poland on spying charges in a case that could intensify Western security concerns about the company.
Poland’s internal affairs minister, Joachim Brudzinski, called for the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) to work on a joint position over whether to exclude Huawei from their markets following the arrest of the Chinese employee and a former Polish security official on Friday. The two men have heard the charges and could be held for three months.
Huawei faces intense scrutiny in the West on its relationship with China’s government and United States-led allegations that its devices could be used by Beijing for spying.
The firm has repeatedly denied the accusations, but several Western countries have restricted Huawei’s access to their markets.
In August, US President Donald Trump signed a bill that barred the US government from using Huawei equipment and is considering an executive order that would also ban US firms from doing so.
Brudzinski said Poland wanted to continue cooperating with China but that a discussion was needed on whether to exclude Huawei from some markets.
“There are concerns about Huawei within Nato as well, it would make sense to have a joint stance among EU member states and Nato members,” he told broadcaster RMF FM.