Trump orders national emergency on information security; Commerce Department follows with Huawei restrictions

• Trump’s order bars the use of telecoms equipment made by companies deemed a threat to US national security, threatening Huawei

• Move would stymie Huawei’s efforts to expand into critical 5G market, giving US a chance to play catch-up 

from the South China Morning Post.

Rappler: DFA warns Duterte gov't vs Huawei amid warming ties with China

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has warned President Rodrigo Duterte’s government about the risks of partnering with telecommunications giant Huawei in government projects, an internal memorandum obtained by Rappler showed.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs respectfully informs the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the National Security Council, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) that the Czech Republic and France have issued orders to limit the use of Huawei products primarily due to security concerns,” the memorandum dated January 25 read.

It added: “The ban was prompted by the security alert issued by the Czech National Cyber and Security Information Agency (NCISA) that Huawei devices may be used to damage the country’s national interests.”

The DFA then said that France placed restrictions on Huawei as it feared that “China could spy on countries where it has a network presence” of “potential backdoors” in their codes. (READ: European telecoms' dilemma: Huawei or the highway?)

But will Duterte listen? Article here.