Critics from the PP question the security implications of the government's deals with Huawei, but the government argues these contracts do not jeopardize national security.
In a move that has sparked controversy, the Spanish Ministry of Interior has awarded a contract worth €12.3 million to Chinese multinational company Huawei. The contract, which was awarded between 2021 and 2025, involves the use of Huawei's OceanStor 6800 V5 servers for managing and storing judicial wiretaps[2][3].
This arrangement has raised eyebrows, especially from Spanish police and intelligence sectors and international observers, due to Huawei's close ties with the Chinese Communist Party and the potential risks of data access by Beijing[1][2][4]. While the Spanish Interior Ministry asserts that the contract complies with cybersecurity regulations set by Spain’s National Cryptologic Center (CCN-STIC) and that there is no security risk involved, this position contrasts sharply with warnings and restrictions against Huawei from the European Union, NATO allies, and particularly the United States[1][3][5].
Critics argue that despite Spain effectively excluding Huawei from its critical 5G telecom infrastructure, the government continues to entrust Huawei with highly sensitive data related to surveillance. Huawei has been banned in the United States for espionage, and the European Union has asked to exclude it from contracts that put security at risk[1]. The US President Donald Trump decided to include Huawei on the list of entities that could pose a threat to national security, and Sweden and the UK have imposed restrictions or banned the use of Huawei[6].
The controversy deepened when the European Parliament banned representatives of Huawei from entering its buildings following an investigation into alleged bribery, forgery, money laundering, and organized crime involving the European Parliament[7]. The Belgian police raided Huawei's headquarters over suspected corruption with Euro MPs[8].
US officials, including House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, have publicly condemned Spain’s contract with Huawei, describing it as a national security threat that could compromise Spain and its allies due to the potential for CCP-driven data mining and geopolitical influence[5].
The Spanish government, however, maintains that the contract is above board. Google has terminated all commercial relations with Huawei, and Huawei has denied ties with the Chinese government and assured that its products comply with local laws and regulations[9].
This paradox—excluding Huawei from telecom cores but relying on it for sensitive surveillance storage—reflects complex geopolitical pressures and internal policy disagreements in Spain[1][2][3][5].
| Aspect | Status & Controversy | |----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Contract | Spanish Ministry of Interior awarded Huawei €12.3M for storage/management of judicial wiretaps. | | Technical Setup | Uses Huawei’s OceanStor 6800 V5 servers for secure storage and data classification. | | 5G Involvement | Huawei excluded from 5G core networks by all major Spanish operators; present only in some radio networks but excluded from critical infrastructure. | | Domestic Views | Interior Ministry claims compliance with security standards; some police and intelligence sectors uneasy about Huawei's involvement due to security concerns. | | International Response | Warnings from US, EU, NATO; strong criticism from US political figures citing CCP influence risk; Spain seen as risking ally intelligence-sharing relations. |
- The average Spanish citizen might question the government's policy-and-legislation regarding Huawei, considering the ongoing controversies surrounding war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and politics.
- Despite Spain's exclusion of Huawei from its critical 5G telecom infrastructure, the company still contends with general-news regarding casino-and-gambling, given Google's decision to terminate all commercial relations with the firm.
- Critics argue that the Spanish government's collaboration with Huawei in managing sensitive data related to surveillance constitutes a risk, similar to the one that led to the company's ban in the United States on charges of espionage.
- As the European Parliament investigated alleged bribery, forgery, money laundering, and organized crime involving Huawei, it became apparent that the controversy surrounding the company extends beyond just policy-and-legislation and enterprise-scale casino-games; it raises significant concerns about the firm's casino-games and its involvement in crime-and-justice.
