US ambassador reiterates Huawei spying claims, warns of Vaca Muerta impact

The diplomatic tension between the United States and China over technology in Argentina's Vaca Muerta region has escalated, with U.S. Ambassador Peter Lamelas renewing accusations against Huawei. Speaking at an AmCham Energy summit, Lamelas insisted that the Chinese tech giant, which the local cooperative CALF is considering for a data center, spies for the Chinese Communist Party.

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China demands its companies provide the state with any data that passes through its technology and its artificial intelligence (AI) networks. Everything is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

This assertion follows a recent incident where a U.S. embassy official allegedly pressured a CALF manager to cancel negotiations with Huawei, even warning of potential visa restrictions for cooperative directors. CALF has labeled this as undue pressure and lodged a complaint with Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lamelas emphasized that "data energy security is the national security of both countries," asserting that U.S. and international investors require assurances that their data is protected within trusted networks. He directly criticized the Chinese government, stating, "China demands its companies provide the state with any data that passes through its technology and its artificial intelligence (AI) networks. Everything is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party."

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If you want to accuse someone, there will always be pretexts.

The ambassador questioned why Huawei equipment is restricted in the United States, a capitalist and free country, while highlighting U.S. companies as global leaders in security and transparency. The Chinese embassy responded sharply to the U.S. embassy's warnings, accusing it of "deliberately fanning the theory of the China threat" and "blatantly hindering" a partnership between an Argentine company and Huawei. The embassy condemned these actions as "arrogance" and a "grave lack of respect for the sovereignty" of third countries.

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deliberately fanning the theory of the China threat and blatantly hindering that an Argentine company cooperate with Huawei, in a conduct that was qualified as arrogance and a grave lack of respect towards the sovereignty of third countries.