WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday said China’s role in the global coronavirus pandemic is likely to force countries to rethink their telecommunications infrastructure, including the adoption of China-based Huawei’s 5G networks.

Asked about use of Huawei and 5G, Pompeo told Fox Business Network in an interview: “I am very confident that this moment — this moment where the Chinese Communist Party failed to be transparent and open and handle data in an appropriate way — will cause many, many countries rethink what they were doing with respect to their telecom architecture.”

“And when Huawei comes knocking to sell them equipment and hardware, that they will have a different prism through which to view that decision.”

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Toby Chopra)