French Senate rejects tougher telecoms controls despite U.S. Huawei warning

The French Senate rejected on Wednesday proposed legislation aimed at toughening checks on telecoms equipment, following a U.S. warning about Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. The new legislation was a last-minute addition by the government to a wide-ranging corporate law and would have required telecom operators to seek formal approval for the use of certain kinds of equipment considered to be particularly sensitive for spying or sabotage risks.

The rejection by the Senate means the government will need to find another bill to pass the provision, which could delay its implementation by several months. Huawei is facing international scrutiny over its ties with the Chinese government and allegations that Beijing could use its technology for spying, which Huawei denies.

The U.S. Justice Department has also charged Huawei with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran and with stealing robotic technology from T-Mobile US Inc. (Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain, Gwenaelle Barzic and Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Leigh Thomas)