BARCELONA, Spain — The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday that it would use equipment from the Chinese technology giant Huawei to build a new high-speed wireless network, despite pressure by the United States to steer clear of the company’s products. The announcement, made at a major European trade conference, was another setback for a campaign by officials from the United States to persuade countries to restrict the use of Huawei equipment in next-generation wireless networks, known as 5G. The Trump administration claims Huawei’s equipment creates a cybersecurity risk that China’s government can exploit for espionage or sabotage, a charge Huawei has forcefully denied. But the plan detailed by the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned telecommunications company, Etisalat, was the latest indication that American officials are having difficulty persuading other countries to go along with their push against Huawei, the world’s largest maker of telecommunications equipment. The United Arab Emirates is a reliable ally of the United States in the Middle East, and a major buyer of American military equipment.

Source: New York Times February 26, 2019 18:04 UTC