Huawei’s Poland branch offers to set up cyber security center

World Today

Huawei is facing increasing scrutiny in Europe. Its technology is alleged to have capabilities that would allow Chinese authorities to conduct surveillance activities. But the company’s branch in Poland is now offering Polish authorities to set up a “Cyber Security Centre” in Warsaw. It follows the recent arrest of Wang Weinjing, a former Huawei employee in Poland.
CGTN’s Aljosa Milenkovic has more from Warsaw.

Huawei is a common target of scare tactics from the West. Many are portraying the company as the “big evil boogeyman” who’s spying on them to steal their secrets.

The case of Wang Weijing, a former Huawei employee that was arrested in Poland on charges of spying appears to be another example, but analysts are saying that there is something more behind that smokescreen.

“The main problem of the whole situation is this new generation of 5G telecommunication infrastructure,” said Sylwia Czubkowska, a journalist with Gazeta Wyborcza. “This is the main problem for Huawei, for China, for Poland, Europe and United States.”

Huawei is among the world’s leading developers of the groundbreaking 5G mobile networks technology. The company as an industry leader might be the reason for this witch hunt.

But according to local analysts, the general feeling among the public towards Huawei products hasn’t changed. Their phones are still the top sellers and despite the initial apparent cooling of relations after Wang’s arrest, Poland and China are trying to maintain positive economic momentum among the two nations.

“I can still see that Chinese government officials are planning visits to Poland, and also planning visits to other countries,” said Patrycja Pendrakowska, the president of the Center for Polish-Asian Studies. “That’s the very positive point… in this whole situation.”

But where is Wang Weijing in this whole story? What’s happening and what is going to happen with him?

CGTN met his lawyer Bartłomiej Jankowski in Warsaw who shared with us some of his client’s recent statement.

“And the bottom line message from his statement is that he’s not guilty,” Jankowski said. “He’s not what he is being accused of. He is not guilty of any wrongdoing when acting in the capacity of a Huawei employee, or in whatever other capacity when living in Poland or abroad.”