U.S. envoy to EU: customers should avoid Huawei due to security concerns

The United States wants to steer people away from Huawei towards Western products, the U.S. envoy to the European Union said on Thursday, adding that there exists a great deal of classified evidence of security breaches by the Chinese telecoms gear provider. "The U.S. is very supportive of the discouraging the purchase of any Chinese digital products that involve potential national security implications and steering people away from Huawei into Western products is our desired outcome," Gordon Sondland told Reuters before an event in Brussels.

Asked about security issue with Huawei's products, he said: "There is a lot of evidence, most of it classified." Reuters on Jan. 30 reported that the European Union is considering proposals that would effectively amount to a de-facto ban on Huawei Technologies Co. equipment for next-generation mobile networks on security grounds. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Editing by Alissa de Carbonnel)