After Allegations of Spying, African Union Renews Huawei Alliance
Chinese technology giant Huawei plans to expand its footprint in Africa through 5G, cloud computing and artificial intelligence technologies
WASHINGTON — The accusations were explosive: For five years, the Chinese government had spied on communications at the African Union. Every night, data streamed from computers at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to unknown locations controlled by China, anonymous sources at the and , a French newspaper. The breach represented “what appears to be one of the longest-running thefts of confidential government data that we know about,” Danielle Cave, a senior analyst at The , wrote last July. At the center of the controversy was Huawei, the Chinese technology giant with close ties to the Communist Party that had supplied the equipment, configured the servers and trained the staff at the African Union. Now, AU leaders have decided to solidify ties with the Chinese tech company at a time of intensifying international criticism of its practices around the globe. When accusations of Chinese spying at the AU emerged in early 2018, Moussa Faki, the chairperson of the AU Commission, and Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia’s former prime minister, categorically denied the allegations, as did Chinese officials. and said they “vehemently reject” any claims of impropriety. Exactly what information had been compromised, and why the Chinese government would find it valuable, remain unclear. But the charges fit into a broader pattern of criticism against Huawei. In 2012, the U.S. House Intelligence Committee labeled Huawei a national security threat and warned it had stolen intellectual property and could be spying on Americans through “back doors” that  to sensitive data. Pressure on the company intensified last month, when the U.S. Commerce Department placed  restricting trade with U.S. partners, after President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order effectively blocking the company from operating in the United States. With criticisms mounting around the globe, Huawei reasserted itself last week when it signed a deal with the African Union to expand partnerships on a range of technologies, from broadband and “cloud” computing to 5G and artificial intelligence. Thomas Kwesi Quartey, the AU Commission’s deputy chairperson, and Philippe Wang, Huawei’s vice president for North Africa, signed the memorandum of understanding last week at the AU headquarters — itself a goodwill gift from China to Africa — in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The agreement is a show of solidarity at a critical time in Huawei’s history — and a potential wedge between Africa and the United States at a moment of growing antagonism between the world’s largest economies. It also expands Huawei’s foothold in a market with significant potential for growth in the years ahead;  as of March. Huawei first entered Africa in the late 1990s, when it helped build cellular networks in dozens of countries. Experts estimate Huawei constructed the majority of Africa’s cellular infrastructure, impacting multiple sectors along the way, from education and banking to health and government. The communications networks Huawei has built, usually with loans financed by the Chinese government, aren’t as visible as massive infrastructure projects like bridges and railways. But their impact is at least as far-reaching. “On the technological front, China is unmatched in Africa,” Antoaneta Roussi, a journalist based in East Africa, . “The country’s telecommunications giant Huawei has built half of the 4G networks on the continent and most of the 2G and 3G.” The company has also taken the lead in developing the continent’s 5G capabilities, beginning in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Huawei helped launch a next-generation network in February. With data transfer speeds at least 100 times greater than 4G, 5G technology greatly improves upon existing cellular systems. Huawei may not offer superior technology, but it has been willing to engage with African nations when Western companies haven’t, , a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development and the former minister of public works in Liberia, . And they’ve done so at steeply discounted prices. The Chinese government has subsidized information technology (IT) infrastructure throughout Africa, making it more affordable and more available. Over the years, ties between Africa and Huawei have only strengthened. In 2012, Huawei  for the African Union to help the organization communicate and conduct its business more effectively. Three years later, AU leaders and Huawei executives signed a  and . This year’s renewal marks the most ambitious agreement to date. But the competitive and political landscapes have become more complex. U.S. tech giants Google and Microsoft have launched  across Africa to recruit local talent and build cutting-edge technologies. Meanwhile, heightening tensions between China and the United States could push African nations into choices over whom they partner with, even as interest in African investment increases and more strategic partnerships present themselves. And worries over security aren’t likely to wane, with growing concerns that emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning could become tools of repression in the hands of authoritarian regimes, concerns raised by groups like  and the . Salem Solomon is an award-winning multimedia reporter and editor with the Voice of America’s News Center. Salem’s multimedia and data-driven projects include , a project that won the , , , ,  and  which . Previously, she worked in the Africa Division, covering the latest news from across the continent. She started working at VOA with the Horn of Africa service while completing her master’s degree in journalism at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, where she was a teaching assistant. She has reported and edited stories online, and for radio broadcasts and TV in English, and . Salem’s work has appeared in prominent news outlets including , and others. She researches trends in analytics and digital journalism. Her work focused on journalism innovation and fact-checking initiatives has appeared in the , on Poynter Online and Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab, and she has taught advanced reporting at the University of South Florida’s Department of Journalism and Digital Communication. For tips and inquiries, email salemsolomon@voanews.com.