\n<\/p>\n
To navigate the geopolitical storm, the firm offered six-figure salaries to former Western journalists and politicians with direct lines to places of power like the Elys\u00e9e and Westminster.<\/p>\n
In the past two years Huawei has lost much of its clout in Brussels, as the mood against Chinese tech firms turned and European governments aligned on taking a more cautious approach to using Huawei\u2019s 5G equipment in their networks. At the EU level, the European Commission in 2023 announced<\/a> moves to block it and ZTE from EU research funding and to stop contracting operators using Chinese equipment.<\/p>\n The firm\u2019s Brussels office also saw departures by lobbyists and communications officials.<\/p>\n According to EU transparency register data, Huawei Technologies spent between \u20ac2 million and \u20ac2.25 million on EU lobbying in 2021, 2022 and 2023 \u2014 a lot, but still below its lobbying costs in preceding years, which were estimated at around \u20ac3 million in 2018, 2019 and 2020.<\/p>\n Huawei in October declared it had 11 full-time EU lobbyists, nine of whom were accredited to access the European Parliament. At its peak it declared 21.<\/p>\n Huawei also listed as intermediaries Acento Public Affairs, Hill & Knowlton International Belgium, and MUST & Partners. Acento and Alber & Geiger also served as Huawei\u2019s intermediaries the year before, with Huawei declaring representation costs of \u20ac200,000 and \u20ac600,000, respectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n