London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

EU trade commissioner 'will call Trump's bluff' over Huawei security

EU trade commissioner 'will call Trump's bluff' over Huawei security

Phil Hogan convinced US president will not withdraw intelligence cooperation with UK and EU

The EU trade commissioner has said the UK can “call Donald Trump’s bluff” on threats to withdraw the US’s cooperation with the UK on intelligence and security over Huawei, the Chinese telecoms giant.

Phil Hogan has also risked the wrath of the US president by declaring that the EU is not, in principle, opposed to giving the Chinese tech group access to 5G plans.

At a press conference in London he said the US did not have exclusivity on safety and security of its citizens, and predicted Trump would come round to the EU view that they had shared interests in that regard.

When asked how he felt about the US threat that the UK would lose access to US intelligence and counter-terrorism security strategy if it did not “fall into line” and bloc the Chinese from the cellular network, Hogan was blunt.

“I think that is a bit of sabre-rattling. I don’t think that will actually happen,” he said.



““We can call [Trump’s] bluff on that one [the US laying down conditions over Huawei],” he said.

Hogan is midway through his first official visit to Washington as the EU’s new trade commissioner.

In a satellite-linked interview at a Global Counsel trade conference with the former EU trade commissioner, Peter Mandelson, he said the EU did not have an objection in principle to Huawei operating in Europe.

He added Europe would take a different approach, arguing that the best way was to “develop criteria in which people can trade fairly. We can’t say to Huawei, “you cannot come into the EU”, that’s not what we want.

“We don’t subscribe to the view that whatever you do you block Huawei.

“If they actually implement the rules of the game … all competition is welcome and must be fair,” said Hogan.

One danger, the US believes, is that its intelligence could be compromised because the UK has access to data under the “five eyes” pact and Huawei could be subject to Chinese state influence, something Huawei has denied.

Hogan said the EU and the US needed to cooperate on regulation on technology, otherwise both sides would lose to China.

He also said he believed the US and the EU could come to some agreement on a tax on digital companies such as Amazon and Google.

“Everybody accepts, including the US, there will be a global tax to deal with technology companies. It’s a question of how we define that and we criteria we end up with,” he said.

On Brexit he warned that it was impossible to agree a comprehensive new relationship with the UK by the December deadline set by Boris Johnson.

“Prime minister Johnson has said he wants everything concluded by the end of the year – it’s just not possible,” he said. “Especially when you have to make a decision about the transition period by the first of July.”

After the interview, Lord Mandelson told reporters that a narrow trade deal was possible by the end of the year but the strings attached to it might be unpalatable.

“I think we can get a bare bones agreement by the end of the year, which would envisage tariff-free and quota-free trade, but it would come at a price and I am not sure that the government would, given the political constraints, be willing to pay it.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×