Strayer, the deputy assistant secretary for cyber, international communications and information policy at the US State Department, said that it was "necessary to demystify" the notion that Huawei is more advanced in 5G, urging EU countries to ban the Chinese company’s telecom equipment.
Strayer said the United States is encouraging European countries to think carefully about the security and economic implications of rushing forward with using Huawei's technology. US officials have long maintained that Huawei has been engaging in surveillance activities on behalf of the Chinese government - allegations that have been strongly denied by both the company and Beijing.
"There is no way to fully mitigate any type of risk except the use of trusted vendors from democratic countries," Strayer told reporters. "The good news is Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung all provide 5G technology that is on par with the one Huawei is providing today. They are leading the world in the type of technology they have."
Huawei had earlier reported that it spent $15 billion last year on research to help it achieve market leadership and has said the United States wants to frustrate its growth because US companies are unable to offer the same range of technology at a competitive price. Strayer ensured that Western vendors such as Ericsson and Nokia will use an open architecture with more functionality, creating opportunities for companies in the United States and Europe to provide compatible equipment.
The European Union has said it would allow members to decide what part China's Huawei can play in 5G networks while the UK, which is no longer a member of the EU, has recently granted Huawei a limited role in building a 5G mobile network.