The president of Costa Rica brought up concerns about cyber-security and eavesdropping on Thursday, which China firmly denied, as he explained why Chinese tech giant Huawei is not permitted to operate 5G mobile data networks in the Central American nation.
China’s embassy in San Jose called the government’s stance “baseless” and warned that such remarks could damage the country’s economic relations with the Asian giant, which has the second-biggest economy in the world. It responded vehemently a day later, claiming that the “accusations over cyber-security lack reason.”
President Rodrigo Chaves stated on Wednesday that he is committed to advancing national security and that Chinese companies are required by law to give the Chinese government any information it asks for. “The country where Huawei is based doesn’t have a solid judicial framework that prevents spying,” Chaves informed reporters during a routine government press briefing.
The disagreement arose in the summer when a top US military commander openly questioned Huawei’s suitability for developing Costa Rica’s 5G mobile network, which is intended to offer stronger connections, faster data, and greater capacity.
A few months later, in August, Chaves issued an order prohibiting companies from 5G developing nations from doing business with those that have not ratified an international convention against cybercrime. Tech companies from China, South Korea, Russia, Brazil, and other countries are prohibited by the decree.
