China Demands "Fair and Just" Treatment after France Bans 5G Technology for Huawei

Jody Y., Tech Times 06 July 2020, 01:07 pm

After the Head of the French cybersecurity agency, ANSSI ensured that there would not be a total ban on using Huawei products; they promulgated the blocking of 5G technology from the said brand. With this, China asks France to guarantee a "fair and just" environment for their companies and allow their market and enterprises to "make a choice in their own interests." This was after Paris restrained licenses for telecom operators using 5G technology from Huawei.

Other countries, such as the United States and Australia, have banned Huawei from their 5G networks. On June 30, the Financial Times reported that Britain could determine this month to eradicate the company's equipment from its system. France's local operators SFR and Bouygues Telecom, who use Huawei equipment, will be granted eight-year licenses to operate the 5G technology.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told on Monday briefing that France to take "practical action to provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for enterprises of all countries, including Chinese enterprises."

The Reason and Allegation

The Chinese company has invested billions of dollars in 5G technology, competing against Ericsson and Nokia. But the U.S. has raised issues that China could use the company's technology as a Trojan horse to spy on other countries.

"What I can say is that there won't be a total ban," Guillaume Poupard told Les Echos newspaper in an interview. "(But) for operators that are not currently using Huawei, we are inciting them not to go for it."

The U.S. government has encouraged its allies to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the West's communications, saying China could use it for spying. Huawei has denied the allegations.

Sources told Reuters in March France would not ban Huawei but would seek to keep it out of the core mobile network, which carries higher surveillance risks because it processes sensitive information such as customers' personal data.

Other Countries taking Precautions

Aside from those countries restricting Huawei, the United Kingdom will eliminate Huawei technology from its 5G network after an intelligence report alerted about security risks clouding the telecommunications company.

The NCSC also reported on Sunday, July 5, that Huawei's products are unsafe following the new sanctions issued by the U.S. against the firm. This will make Huawei microchips not secured according to Daily Mail.

Donald Trump's administration pursues the U.K.'s outright ban on Huawei products with concerns about Chinese spy infiltration. There is also an increasing enmity within the Conservative Party that threatens to block any related legislation.

Answering Allegations

Huawei Vice-President Victor Zhang commented that "it is too determine the impact of the proposed restrictions. All our products and solutions use technology and components over which the U.K. government has strict oversight."

He also added that the company is working closely with its customers to "find ways of managing the proposed U.S. restrictions" that would allow the U.K. to remain in the lead in 5G market.