The author is a researcher at the Culture and Heritage Foundation (KUME), located in Istanbul, Türkiye

ISTANBUL

In recent weeks, the Spanish Interior Ministry made a €12.3 million ($14.4 million) contract with Chinese technology giant Huawei to manage servers for judicially authorized wiretaps. The decision has drawn unusually strong reactions from Western countries and placed Spain at the center of a delicate geopolitical debate. While the Spanish government insists that the arrangement complies with all national security requirements, the move is being interpreted abroad through a lens shaped by years of suspicion toward Huawei’s relationship with the Chinese state.

In a broad perspective, the controversy appears to be part of the recent US-China technological rivalry. While American and European officials warn that Huawei could be a conduit for Chinese intelligence, Spanish authorities claim they weighed technological benefits against security risks [1]. Moreover, from inside Madrid, the picture is more nuanced, shaped by previous deals, domestic politics, and a belief in maintaining strategic room for maneuvering.

Within the wider geopolitical landscape, this is not just a technological competition between two superpowers, but also a geopolitical conflict where the internal balance of the Western alliance is being tested.  

Huawei's history in Spain and shifting security landscape

Huawei has long worked with Spain on its sensitive infrastructure. The company provided systems to store and manage data from law enforcement wiretaps for more than 10 years, with different governments approving these deals. These contracts are accessible in public procurement records and involve agencies ranging from the National Intelligence Center to regional police forces.

The Spanish administration defends its decision based on this continuity. Government officials argue that the company has fulfilled its contractual obligations without any proven security breaches and that Huawei’s offers are cost-competitive in a way that alternative suppliers could not match. Also, approval of the National Cryptologic Center, Spain’s leading authority on computer security, is cited internally as evidence that security concerns have been addressed.

Nonetheless, escalating geopolitical tensions and the race for technological supremacy have significantly changed the landscape. Since 2017, China’s National Intelligence Law has explicitly required companies like Huawei to cooperate with state intelligence services if requested, and to do so in secrecy.[2] While Spanish officials are aware of this legal reality, some believe that carefully compartmentalized contracts can mitigate the risk.   

International response and political considerations

The US response has been unusually direct. Republican lawmakers such as Senator Tom Cotton and Representative Rick Crawford have urged a review of intelligence-sharing with Spain.[3] Congress is concerned that access to Spanish wiretap data could allow Chinese intelligence to track investigations involving Chinese operatives, or to gain insight into broader European and NATO security matters. Spain participates in multi-country intelligence frameworks within NATO, and a loss of confidence in Madrid’s data security could prompt other allies to limit what they share.

American sensitivities on this issue are heightened by their own domestic consensus on Huawei, a consensus that has led to bipartisan agreement on bans, removal mandates, and persistent public warnings [4]. Previously, the UK’s policy shifted in a similar direction in 2020, ordering all Huawei 5G equipment removed by 2027 despite the financial cost [5]. The message in both cases is that security risk assessments now override commercial or operational convenience.

The engagement with Huawei is also subject to domestic political considerations. Figures such as former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and former Cabinet Minister Jose Blanco have been linked, in media reporting, to informal advocacy for the company. Reports have indicated that in 2021, Huawei contracted with a company linked to Zapatero’s family, while its public affairs representation in Spain was managed by a consultancy co-founded by Blanco [6].

Inside the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party circles, some see Huawei’s presence as part of a broader strategy to attract technological investment and maintain diversified economic partnerships, particularly as China has become the EU’s second-largest trading partner. Yet one overriding reality shapes Madrid’s approach. Spain remains deeply embedded in the transatlantic security alliance. There is no policymaker in Madrid who envisions replacing the US as a security partner with China.  

Broader implications for digital sovereignty and alliance trust

The debate also intersects with broader concerns about digital sovereignty and surveillance. Civil society groups such as Article 19 have warned that cooperation with Huawei could normalize intrusive surveillance capabilities, undermining rights within the EU. But as recent domestic scandals (such as the Pegasus spyware developed by the Israeli NSO Group) have shown, so-called democratic governments can also overreach, using sophisticated tools to monitor political opponents or activists without sufficient oversight. This is a reminder that the risks of technological control are not confined to authoritarian states. It appears that whether the supplier is Chinese, American, or European, the potential for abuse exists if safeguards are weak.

Given the geopolitical backdrop, the space for middle-ground positions is narrowing. Washington often presents the choice as either aligning with US security assessments or risking classification as a potential security vulnerability. Beijing, for its part, promotes Huawei as a reliable partner unfairly targeted by political hostility. The EU is itself divided, with some member states enforcing strict bans and others maintaining a case-by-case approach. Spain's position, which is economically linked to China and its companies, and militarily aligned with the US, makes it a balance-seeking actor. However, in the context of the emerging "tech cold war," maintaining a balanced position can be interpreted by different parties as a sign of indecision.

For now, Madrid’s stance is that the Huawei contract is secure, limited in scope, and consistent with national law. But in intelligence relations, perception often matters as much as reality. The question is whether Spain can persuade allies that this procurement decision does not compromise shared security.

The recent Huawei deal is more than just a narrow procurement arrangement. It is a test of how states navigate the tension between technological opportunity, economic pragmatism, and the obligations of security alliances. For Spain, the challenge is to manage these pressures without allowing external suspicion to erode the trust on which its security ultimately depends.  

[1] https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20250806/gobierno-defiende-contratos-huawei-seguridad-pp-comparecencia-ministros/16689353.shtml

[2] https://digichina.stanford.edu/work/translation-cybersecurity-law-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-effective-june-1-2017/

[3] https://www.cotton.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/gabbard_cottoncrawford_17jul25.pdf

[4] https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-690A1.pdf

[5] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/huawei-to-be-removed-from-uk-5g-networks-by-2027

[6] https://www.infobae.com/espana/agencias/2025/08/05/el-pp-cree-que-el-contrato-del-gobierno-con-huawei-esta-motivado-por-los-vinculos-de-zapatero-con-china/

https://theobjective.com/economia/2024-11-17/marruecos-laliga-mediapro-huawei-pepe-blanco/