The United States has issued a direct warning to Syria’s new leadership, urging it to abandon plans to procure Chinese technology for its telecommunications sector, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The message was delivered during an unreported meeting in San Francisco on Tuesday between a U.S. State Department team and Syria’s Communications Minister, Abdulsalam Haykal. Washington argues that allowing Chinese firms to play a major role in rebuilding Syria’s telecom infrastructure conflicts with U.S. interests and poses a threat to U.S. national security.
Since the ouster of longtime President Bashar al-Assad in 2024 by the current administration of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the United States has been coordinating more closely with Damascus. The previous Assad government maintained a strategic partnership with China, leaving much of Syria’s existing infrastructure, including its telecom networks, heavily reliant on Chinese companies.
According to a Syrian businessman involved in procurement talks, the new government is actively exploring the purchase of Chinese technology to support its telecommunications towers and the infrastructure for local internet service providers.
“The U.S. side asked for clarity on the ministry’s plans regarding Chinese telecom equipment,” said a separate source briefed on the discussions. However, Syrian officials at the meeting stressed that infrastructure development projects are critically urgent and that Damascus is seeking greater vendor diversity to meet its immediate needs.
Syrian Officials Cite US Export Controls as Barrier
While Syria is open to partnering with U.S. firms, officials described the matter as urgent and pointed to U.S. export controls and “over-compliance” by American companies as a significant obstacle, according to a person familiar with the San Francisco meeting.
A U.S. diplomat familiar with the discussions confirmed to Reuters that the State Department team “clearly urged Syrians to use American technology or technology from allied countries in the telecoms sector.” It remains unclear whether the United States offered any financial or logistical support to facilitate such a shift.
Responding to questions from Reuters, a U.S. State Department spokesperson outlined Washington’s position: “We urge countries to prioritize national security and privacy over lower-priced equipment and services in all critical infrastructure procurement. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
The spokesperson added that Chinese intelligence and security services “can legally compel Chinese citizens and companies to share sensitive data or grant unauthorized access to their customers’ systems.” They argued that promises by Chinese companies to protect customer privacy are “entirely inconsistent with China’s own laws and well-established practices.” China has consistently rejected such allegations of using its technology for espionage.
In a statement to Reuters, Syria’s Ministry of Telecommunications asserted that all decisions regarding equipment and infrastructure are made “in accordance with national technical and security standards, ensuring data protection and service continuity.” The ministry also stated it is prioritizing the diversification of partnerships and technology sources to serve the national interest.
The legacy of U.S. sanctions imposed on successive Assad governments has meant Syria’s telecom infrastructure has long relied heavily on Chinese technology. According to a senior source at one of the country’s two main telecom operators, Syriatel and MTN, and documents reviewed by Reuters, technology from the Chinese firm Huawei accounts for more than 50% of their networks. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Syria is now desperate to develop its private sector, devastated by 14 years of war, and attract foreign investment to rebuild. In a significant development earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s largest telecom operator, STC, announced a $800 million investment to “strengthen telecommunications infrastructure and connect Syria regionally and internationally through a fibre-optic network extending over 4,500 kilometres.”
The Syrian Ministry of Telecommunications acknowledges that U.S. restrictions “hinder the availability of many American technologies and services in the Syrian market.” It emphasized it would welcome expanded cooperation with U.S. companies should those restrictions be lifted. Currently, Syria’s telecommunications infrastructure remains woefully inadequate, with network coverage weak outside city centers and connection speeds in many areas barely exceeding a few kilobits per second.
