Huawei has reaffirmed its commitment to Europe, promising sustained investment and collaboration despite shifting geopolitical conditions.
At the Huawei European Partner Conference 2025 in Como, Italy, company leaders outlined a Europe-focused strategy that emphasises working through its partner network to drive growth across the continent.
“Enterprise business will be Huawei’s key growth engine in Europe, so we’ll invest more in it,” said Willi Song, President of Huawei Europe Enterprise Business. “Our approach is always to work with partners to build an open ecosystem.”
This pledge comes as concerns grow in Europe about the long-term reliability of the US as a strategic partner. Recent polling points to a marked decline in European favourability toward the US following policy shifts and rhetoric from Washington. Issues such as tariffs on European goods, disputes over security commitments, and contentious diplomatic moves have contributed to a perception among some Europeans that the US is a “necessary partner” rather than an unshakeable ally.
That shifting view has prompted calls across the continent for greater strategic autonomy, particularly in defence and critical infrastructure. As one Western European defence official put it, if allies are repeatedly mistreated, they may eventually look elsewhere for suppliers and partners.
Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has urged a “good balance” between US and European equipment, noting that Europe is learning it should, at least for the moment, rely more on its own capabilities.
Into this complex environment steps Huawei, a company long at the centre of technological and political tensions between the West and China. Security concerns persist about the potential for Huawei equipment to be exploited for state surveillance, and although definitive proof has not been publicly established, several European countries — including the UK, Sweden and France — have imposed restrictions on Huawei’s participation in critical 5G rollouts.
Recent controversies have further complicated Huawei’s standing in Brussels. A lobbying scandal led to Huawei lobbyists being banned from certain European Parliament and Commission premises, and the company faced suspension from a prominent European tech association. These episodes have damaged its reputation among some policymakers and stakeholders.
Despite these headwinds, Huawei emphasised its substantial European footprint: more than 13,000 employees and 29 research and development centres across 14 countries. The company outlined its “Partner + Huawei” strategy, designed to strengthen collaboration with local partners through increased resources, incentive programmes and joint marketing funds.
Xia Xingchang, Vice President of Europe Enterprise Business at Huawei, said: “Our partners are at the heart of our enterprise business. Thanks to them, together we can provide the best possible solutions and services for customers across Europe. Our message is clear: we are grateful for your support and want to further strengthen our partnerships, because collaboration is the main driver of our mutual success.”
At the Como conference, Huawei presented industry-specific solutions for education, healthcare, retail, hospitality and managed service providers, showcasing technologies such as Wi‑Fi 7, artificial intelligence and cloud services.
Tim Tao, President of Huawei Cloud Europe, described intelligent transformation as “Europe’s key opportunity for the next decade,” noting that Huawei Cloud already serves more than 6,000 European enterprises.
The strained transatlantic relationship adds another dimension to Europe’s strategic calculations. US tariff policies, including substantial levies targeting Chinese imports and broader tariffs affecting European goods, have disrupted global trade and increased economic tensions. Although intermittent pauses in escalation create room for negotiation, underlying frictions persist.
Some analysts argue that growing friction with the US — and concern about US unpredictability — could nudge parts of the EU toward closer economic engagement with China, which is seeking alternative markets amid punitive tariffs. Others warn against overreliance on China, pointing to persistent economic imbalances and ongoing European scrutiny of Chinese trade practices, including recent EU tariffs on certain Chinese products.
For now, Europe appears to be pursuing a cautious course: strengthening its own strategic capabilities, negotiating firmly with the US on trade and security, while maintaining a significant but careful economic relationship with China.
Huawei remains a notable player in Europe’s technology landscape and is banking on its partner network and product portfolio to navigate geopolitical uncertainty. How Europe ultimately balances security concerns, economic interests and shifting alliances will shape the region’s technology and trade landscape in the years ahead.
(Photo by Immo Wegmann)
See also: Alex Leadbeater, GSMA: Security collaboration vital as attack surface grows
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