[10 August 2025] Spain’s recent €12.3 million decision to hire Huawei to manage judicial wiretap storage is a dangerous aberration—one that should concern every NATO ally. This choice, which puts the sensitive data of law enforcement and intelligence operations in the hands of a company beholden to the Chinese state, underscores not only flaws in Madrid’s security calculus but also a deeper strategic failure by Washington: alienating its European partners to the point where they feel compelled to turn elsewhere.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior awarded Huawei the contract for its SITEL system—despite growing unease within Spain’s National Police and Civil Guard over the risk posed by Chinese intervention in such critical intelligence infrastructure. Though Huawei must adhere to cybersecurity guidelines laid down by the National Cryptologic Center, this still stands in stark contrast to the caution exhibited by Spain’s NATO peers.
Spain has paradoxically excluded Huawei from its 5G infrastructure—falling into line with EU expectations—yet simultaneously entrusted the same company with wiretap storage. This stark contradiction raises uncomfortable questions about political expediency overshadowing security: the availability and low cost of Huawei’s OceanStor servers plainly outweighed the geopolitical risk.
Spain’s move has triggered alarm among U.S. lawmakers. Both the Senate and House intelligence committees have demanded a review of U.S.-Spanish intelligence sharing, warning that the contract could allow Beijing access to classified material. European voices too are warning that reliance on non-EU vendors in such sensitive domains creates perilous dependencies.
But the Spanish misfire does not occur in a vacuum. It is, in many ways, a symptom of deeper frustration among European allies—frustration catalyzed by years of U.S. unilateralism and erratic policy. Under the Trump administration and its successors, America’s brusque posture toward allies, combined with a transactional approach to strategic cooperation, has eroded trust. Instead of engaging European concerns, successive U.S. regimes have at times treated Europe as a lesser partner or burden—a misjudgment that risks driving allied capitals into the arms of pragmatic rivals like China.
In that context, Spain’s decision to contract Huawei is not an isolated failure of judgment, but a worrying signal: when Washington distance itself, Europe starts filling the vacuum. And while Spain’s leaders may argue they have followed formal procurement procedures and regulatory compliance, national security is not a matter of bureaucratic checklists. It is a pact of confidence, shared values, and mutual assurance—elements shaken by Washington’s own retreat.
It is time for U.S. policymakers to recognize that strong alliances are not sustained by demands or dogma, but by respect and reciprocity. If the United States wants Europe to stand firm against authoritarian influence, it must show that it stands with Europe. Otherwise, decisions like Spain’s Huawei deal will proliferate—and the consequences for Western cohesion will be profound. [EIA]