U.S. envoy warns Spain to be 'very careful' in deepening ties with China
The U.S. Ambassador to Spain, Benjamin Leon, has cautioned Spain to be cautious in its growing ties with China, particularly in critical sectors like data and defense. He expressed concerns over public contracts awarded to companies associated with Huawei, which the U.S. views as a security risk. Leon emphasized the importance of protecting European research and democratic values against China's influence and called for a careful approach to negotiations with Beijing.
- ▪Benjamin Leon warned Spain to be careful in deepening ties with China.
- ▪He raised concerns about contracts awarded to companies working with Huawei.
- ▪Leon emphasized the need to protect European research and democratic values against China's influence.
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Spain must proceed very carefully as it deepens its relationship with China to keep it out of critical sectors such as data, defence and telecommunications where Beijing seeks to dominate, Benjamin Leon, the U.S. Ambassador to Spain, said on Wednesday (May 27, 2026).In one of his first public speeches since taking the job in February, Mr. Leon raised concerns that public contracts had been awarded to companies working with Huawei, the Chinese tech giant that Washington says poses "an unacceptable risk" to U.S. national security."I don't think that attains the level of security at which Spain and the United States are exchanging information", he said. "If Spain ensures that China is kept out of critical areas, why not negotiate with Beijing.
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