U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-Va) and Marco Rubio (R-Fl) have sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking him to keep Huawei technology and equipment out of Canada’s 5G network infrastructure.
The letter asked Trudeau to “reconsider” the use of Chinese manufacturers as suppliers to any part of Canada’s next-generation wireless network. Although US lawmakers have been cautious about Huawei since 2012, Congress said the company (and ZTE) poses a threat to US national security, and the Canadian Cybersecurity Center ignored the company’s warning last month.
“We write with grave concerns about the possibility that Canada might include Huawei Technologies or any other Chinese state-directed telecommunications company in its fifth-generation (5G) telecommunications network infrastructure,”
“As you are aware, Huawei is not a normal private-sector company. There is ample evidence to suggest that no major Chinese company is independent of the Chinese government and Communist Party − and Huawei, which China’s government and military tout as a ‘national champion,’ is no exception.”
They added further:
“While Canada has strong telecommunication security safeguards in place, we have serious concerns that such safeguards are inadequate given what the United States and other allies know about Huawei,” the letter states. The senators warn Canada to “reconsider Huawei’s inclusion in any aspect of Canada’s 5G development, introduction, and maintenance.”
As part of the National Defense Authorization Act passed in August, the US government has signed a law prohibiting domestic institutions from using services or hardware manufactured by Huawei and ZTE. A week later, Australia began to prevent Huawei and ZTE from expanding through its own 5G.
The letter also says that “We urge your government to seek additional information from the U.S. intelligence community,”
US Senators Letter to Trudeau:
At the time of the publication, neither Huawei nor the Prime Minister’s Office responded to requests for comment on the global news.
Trudeau said:
“We will make decisions based on the facts, on evidence and what is in the best interests of Canadians,”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Canada’s 5G network has not yet been built. Innovation minister Navdeep Bains has said the country will auction off wireless spectrum for the 5G network in 2020, which implies it will be up and running by then.
Mr. Navdeep Bains, Innovation Minister said that Canada will auction the wireless spectrum of the 5G network by 2020.
What are your views on the US and Huawei relationship?
Join The Discussion: