Technology & Science
EU Draft Law Sets 36-Month Clock to Remove Huawei/ZTE Equipment From Critical Infrastructure
On 20 Jan 2026 the European Commission released draft Cybersecurity Act revisions that turn voluntary curbs on "high-risk" vendors into a legal mandate, compelling all EU states to strip Chinese-made gear—chiefly from Huawei and ZTE—from mobile networks and 17 other critical sectors within set deadlines.
Focusing Facts
- Telecom operators must replace components from any supplier placed on the EU high-risk list within 36 months of the list’s publication.
- The draft extends mandatory vendor restrictions to 18 sectors, including electricity grids, water supply, cloud services, drones and medical devices.
- Germany has already ordered a full removal of Huawei kit from 5G cores by end-2026 and declared a future 6G ban on Chinese parts.
Context
Tech moves this sweeping echo the 1950–1994 CoCom export controls that barred Western companies from selling strategic technology to the Soviet bloc; both episodes frame security as supply-chain exclusion rather than diplomacy. The proposal sits at the intersection of two long arcs: a 15-year drift toward techno-nationalism that began with the 2013 Snowden leaks and a decoupling trend accelerated by Washington’s 2022 Huawei/ZTE ban. By codifying what was once a patchwork of national rules, Brussels signals a shift from market-led integration to regulatory sovereignty, even at the cost of billions in sunk hardware and slower 5G/6G and solar roll-outs. Whether this pivot proves lasting will hinge on future evidence of Chinese espionage and the EU’s ability to cultivate domestic or allied suppliers; otherwise, historians may view it—like the Toshiba-Kongsberg scandal of 1987—as a politically driven pause rather than a permanent realignment in the century-long story of global technology networks.
Perspectives
Western mainstream media
Reuters, CNBC, Mint — Frame the EU’s draft Cybersecurity Act as a prudent move to bolster the bloc’s digital security and technological sovereignty by removing high-risk Chinese suppliers such as Huawei and ZTE. Largely adopts official EU and U.S. security talking-points, offering little independent evidence of Huawei wrongdoing and downplaying the economic cost or diplomatic fallout that critics highlight.
Chinese state-owned media
China Daily — Portrays the EU restrictions as an ideologically driven, protectionist assault that will damage mutually beneficial China-EU trade and raise costs for Europeans. Defends Chinese commercial interests and dismisses espionage concerns as unfounded U.S. propaganda, omitting any discussion of China’s own state influence over these firms.
Industry-focused tech/business outlets
Cryptopolitan, Devdiscourse — Stress that a forced three-year phase-out could saddle telecom operators with billions in replacement costs and slow Europe’s 5G/6G roll-out, echoing Huawei’s claim the plan violates fairness and WTO rules. Prioritises short-term commercial and consumer cost worries, amplifying Huawei’s legal arguments while giving scant attention to the security rationale driving the legislation.