During President Trump’s first administration and subsequently under former President Biden, the Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei was banned, sanctioned and charged with various allegations including espionage, racketeering and conspiracy to steal American trade secrets. Huawei has denied this and other allegations against it.
The firm has been charged with violating U.S. sanctions by working with North Korea and Iran. Despite this and other accusations, Huawei is increasing its presence and power in Mexico, the largest U.S. trading partner.
Just a few days ago, the European Parliament denounced a major infiltration of Huawei’s lobbyists into one of the most important centers of political power in the region. Authorities reported cases of bribery and corruption involving the communist technological giant.
The Asian company has managed to position itself as a leader in 5G technology; however, it remains under the shadow of distrust due to allegations of control and collection of private and highly sensitive information. In 2019, the Trump administration instructed all government agencies to eradicate the use of telecommunication equipment made by Huawei because this technology presented a serious threat to national security.
This Chinese company was officially launched in 1987 and over the years has gone from being a telephone importer to being a global conglomerate valued at $178 billion with a presence in 170 countries.
For more than two decades, U.S. government officials have raised national and economic security concerns about Huawei, citing its ties to government and military, sanctions violations and unfair trade practices, preferential Chinese policies and potential for espionage or sabotage of U.S. and global networks.
Despite this background, Huawei has increased its growth fivefold in Mexico since 2022, has invested $64 million and has installed a technical support data center that covers Mexico and the rest of Latin America.
Mexico has also welcomed a Chinese state-owned telecommunications company, Unicom, offering it a broad license to operate freely for 30 years. Huawei and Unicom maintain close cooperation in promoting AI in sectors such as government and manufacturing in different countries.
China’s security and defense agenda has been laid bare. The recent events involving bribes and gifts to high-ranking members of the European Parliament demonstrate not only Huawei’s and China’s interference in domestic political affairs but also their unwavering strategy to control and collect data and to influence the decisions of the free world.
China and its spy bases in Cuba also ratified the strategy against the U.S. In recent years, Huawei and ZTE have been involved in Cuba, including in areas near the location of spy bases. The strategy aims to have several prongs to collect sensitive intelligence resources but also to create unprecedented cyber threats to U.S. national security.
Huawei is not only a threat to national security but also to commercial activity. The economic integrity and supply chain security are often casualties of China’s commercial ambition. All the so-called private companies in China have to submit to the unquestionable powers of the Chinese Communist Party.
Mexico must cut ties with Huawei, Unicom and other Chinese companies that have been banned in the U.S. due to espionage and strong ties to the Communist Party. And the proximity of these companies to the border still represents a clear and present danger to U.S. and Mexican security.
Mexico must reverse and review its relationship with China. This should not be negotiable or neglected. During the last few weeks, Mexico has increased cooperation with the U.S. on migration, drug trafficking and organized crime — a historic change. In this new context, its relationship with Huawei sends a contrary message to building a stronger and more transparent relationship with the U.S.
The threat is colossal, contentious and too close to being ignored. China’s Trojan horse is at the door. It must be stopped, and it must be stopped now.
Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, and a former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is an alumnus of the National Defense University’s Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course.
