This Is How China Recruited Zapatero's Daughters

Huawei attempted to make inroads in Spain amid the international dispute over control of 5G. Among its influence strategies, the Chinese tech giant turned to the communication agency Whathefav, led by Laura and Alba Rodríguez Espinosa, daughters of former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

The firm added Huawei to its client portfolio in early 2021. This, at a time when the company was seeking to strengthen its position in the country following the restrictions imposed by the United States in 2019.

Additionally, Huawei hired the services of the consultancy Acento, founded by former socialist minister José Blanco, specializing in lobbying strategies and institutional relations. Even Zapatero himself reportedly played a key role in negotiations with Pedro Sánchez's government, which ultimately publicly expressed its support for the company in this conflict.

However, currently, there are no public records indicating what type of work Whathefav carried out for Huawei or if the commercial relationship is still ongoing.

Tensions around Huawei intensified in May 2019. This, just when Donald Trump's administration included the company on its blacklist of companies considered a national security risk.

The measure was based on suspicions that the Chinese government could use Huawei's 5G infrastructure for espionage purposes, supported by a 2017 law that requires the country's tech companies to cooperate with authorities.

The U.S. ban quickly extended to other countries, and Spain was no exception. With the main national operators developing their 5G network, Huawei was left out of the process. In reply, the Chinese company launched an intense lobbying campaign in 2020 to reverse its exclusion from the Spanish market.

In this effort, the consultancy Acento played a key role, deploying its network of contacts in the government and the private sector. Among the figures involved was Antonio Hernando, who is the current Secretary of State for Telecommunications, now responsible for overseeing any Huawei movements in Spain.

Despite the pressure exerted, the company's situation in the country remains unsolved. Meanwhile, its future in the deployment of Spanish 5G remains uncertain.