US presses Syria to avoid Chinese telecom systems

The United States has privately warned Syria against relying on Chinese technology for its telecommunications sector, arguing it conflicts with U.S. interests and threatens national security, Reuters reported.

The message was delivered during an unreported meeting between a State Department team and Syrian Communications Minister Abdulsalam Haykal in San Francisco on Tuesday.

Syria, devastated by 14 years of war, is seeking to rebuild its infrastructure and is exploring Chinese technology for towers and internet services.

But Washington urged Damascus to use American or allied tech instead, citing concerns that Chinese companies could be compelled to share sensitive data.

However, Syrian officials say U.S. export controls and corporate “over-compliance” remain major barriers.

Currently, Huawei alone accounts for more than 50% of Syria’s existing telecom infrastructure through operators Syriatel and MTN.

The State Department warned that “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” while Syria’s telecom ministry says all decisions follow national security standards.