US cyber officials threaten to stop sharing information with EU allies over Huawei 5G

US cyber officials are attempting to put the squeeze on their European allies, saying they will have to reassess their ability to share information with them if they use Huawei in their 5G networks.

Speaking on Monday, Robert Strayer, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cyber and International Communications and Information Policy, said that any deployment of Huawei’s 5G technology is “a risk” and the US will “have to reassess” how it is “interconnected and share information.”

The cybersecurity official said the US does not see any distinction between core and non-core parts of 5G networks.

"If other countries insert and allow untrusted vendors to build out and become the vendors for their 5G networks we will have to reassess the ability for us to share information and be connected with them in the ways that we are today," Strayer said.

The pointed comments come after European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker refused to bow to US pressure by insisting that he won’t bar Chinese firms like Huawei from doing business with Europe, as long as they respect market rules.

The rollout of 5G is seen as a critical development in the power struggle between the US and China because, as the technology is installed in everything from transport systems to hospitals, it will quickly be integrated into each country’s essential national infrastructure.

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