Washington pressures Syria to abandon Chinese telecommunications systems

(Patria) - The United States has warned Syria against relying on Chinese technology in its telecommunications sector, claiming it conflicts with Washington's interests and threatens U.S. national security, according to three sources familiar with the matter, Reuters reported.

The message was conveyed during an unannounced meeting between a U.S. State Department team and Syrian Minister of Communications Abdulsalam Haykal in San Francisco on Tuesday. Washington has been closely coordinating with Damascus since 2024, when the current Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew long-time leader Bashar al-Assad, who had a strategic partnership with China.

Syria is exploring the possibility of acquiring Chinese technology to support its telecommunication towers and local internet service provider infrastructure, according to a Syrian businessman involved in procurement negotiations.
“The American side sought clarification on the ministry’s plans regarding Chinese telecommunications equipment,” said another source informed about the negotiations.

Syria is open to partnering with American companies, but the matter was urgent, and export controls and “over-compliance” remained an issue, according to a person familiar with the San Francisco meeting.

A U.S. diplomat familiar with the talks told Reuters that the U.S. State Department “clearly called on the Syrians to use American technology or that of allied countries in the telecommunications sector.”

It is unclear whether the United States has pledged financial or logistical support to Syria to do so.

Responding to Reuters questions, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said: “We urge countries to prioritize national security and privacy over cheaper equipment and services in all critical infrastructure procurements. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
The spokesperson added that Chinese intelligence and security services “can legally compel Chinese citizens and companies to share sensitive data or grant unauthorized access to their customers’ systems” and that promises by Chinese companies to protect customer privacy are “in direct conflict with Chinese laws and well-established practices.”

China has repeatedly rejected accusations that it uses technology for espionage purposes.
Syria’s Ministry of Communications told Reuters that all decisions related to equipment and infrastructure are made “in accordance with national technical and security standards, ensuring data protection and service continuity.”
The ministry stated that it also prioritizes diversifying partnerships and technology sources to serve the national interest.

Syria’s telecommunications infrastructure has largely relied on Chinese technology due to U.S. sanctions imposed on the Assad governments during the war that stemmed from the crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011.

Huawei's technology accounts for more than 50 percent of the infrastructure of Syriatel and MTN, the only telecommunications operators, according to a source at one of the companies and documents reviewed by Reuters. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Syria seeks to develop its private telecommunications sector, devastated by fourteen years of war, attracting foreign investment.

In early February, Saudi Arabia’s largest telecommunications operator, STC, announced it would invest $800 million to “strengthen telecommunications infrastructure and connect Syria regionally and internationally via a fiber optic network spanning over 4,500 kilometers.”

The Ministry of Communications states that U.S. restrictions “hinder the availability of many American technologies and services in the Syrian market,” emphasizing that it welcomes the expansion of cooperation with American companies when these restrictions are lifted.

Syria has inadequate telecommunications infrastructure, with poor network coverage outside urban centers and connection speeds in many areas barely exceeding a few kilobits per second.