Canada yet to make Huawei decision despite Chinese ‘pressure’

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has again refused to put a timeframe on when the federal government will decide whether Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. equipment can be used in the country’s 5G networks, a day after Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said the Chinese government was “applying pressure” on the issue. Responding to a question about why Canada had taken so long to make a decision about Huawei’s involvement in 5G, Trudeau at his daily press conference on Monday said the government continued “to work with our intelligence agencies and security officials who continue to engage with our Five Eyes partners and allies around the world on the best way to move forward for the future of 5G in Canada.” “We will continue to make our decisions based on science and recommendations by those experts and we're continuing to do our work on that,” Trudeau said. The comment comes a day after Bains told CTV’s Question Period that the Chinese government was applying pressure on the issue. Canada is the last Five Eyes alliance member to indicate whether Huawei will be allowed to be used in its 5G network, although news reports speculate the United Kingdom will review its decision to allow Huawei to be involved in non-sensitive parts of its network. “One thing I want to tell Canadians that we never have and never will compromise on national security and we will make a decision when it’s in our best interests and we will do so by doing the appropriate due diligence and doing the homework. We’re not going to be bullied or pressured by any other country,” Bains said in response to a question about when a decision would be made. "Clearly they are applying pressure, and they recognize that they need to get ahead of this technology and this is, in a geopolitical context, a very important issue and there are many factors that we’re taking into consideration.” Canada’s relations with China have been strained since the RCMP arrested Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in December 2018. Meng is facing extradition as part of a U.S. criminal case against the company. China on Friday formally laid spying charges against Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who have been detained since December 2018. Trudeau attacked the laying of charges on Monday, saying the use of “arbitrary detentions as a means to advance political gains is something that is fully unacceptable in a world based on rules,” and vowed to strongly stand up for Canadian values and principles.

Canada yet to make Huawei decision despite Chinese ‘pressure’

Brief | June 22, 2020

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Canada yet to make Huawei decision despite Chinese ‘pressure’

Brief | June 22, 2020

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Related Stories

New business model needed to keep 5G customers engaged, CTS told

Telus invests $44 million in Montreal, Nanaimo network upgrades

Telus investing $24B in Ontario network upgrades

Irekvist promotes Ericsson’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us