Senior U.S. lawmakers are demanding a reassessment of intelligence-sharing agreements with Spain, raising alarm over Madrid’s use of Chinese tech giant Huawei in sensitive surveillance systems.
In a joint letter sent Thursday, Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton and House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford urged Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence under the Trump administration, to review current arrangements. The request follows reports that the Spanish government has awarded Huawei contracts linked to police surveillance and lawful interception systems.
The lawmakers warned that Huawei’s close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and Beijing’s strict data laws could allow Chinese authorities to access shared intelligence, including material from NATO operations. “Spain is playing with fire,” Crawford said in an earlier statement, accusing the Spanish government of jeopardising allied security.
Huawei has reportedly maintained surveillance-related contracts in Spain for over a decade, including systems that handle data from judicially approved wiretaps used by law enforcement and intelligence services. U.S. officials also pointed to political lobbying on behalf of Huawei in Spain by figures such as former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and former minister Pepe Blanco.
The House Intelligence Committee labelled the ongoing contracts a “victory” for the Chinese regime and called for a broader international effort to counter Beijing’s growing influence in critical infrastructure.
