Security concerns about the role of Huawei in Western 5G telecom infrastructure are to be taken seriously, the head of NATO said Thursday, as Washington steps up pressure on Europe not to use the Chinese firm.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the 29-member alliance has begun internal consultations on Huawei, which the US says poses a "threat" to Europe.
The US and several other Western nations have shut Huawei out of tenders for the development of super-fast fifth-generation, or 5G, networks, because of the company's close ties to the Chinese government.
"Some NATO allies have expressed their concerns over Huawei and their role in providing 5G infrastructure. NATO takes these concerns very seriously," Stoltenberg told reporters.
"We are now consulting closely on this issue including on the security aspects on investments in 5G networks."