Chinese equipment manufacturers Huawei and ZTE will be banned from participating in the construction of fifth-generation (5G) wireless infrastructure in Canada. This puts an end to several months of dithering by the Trudeau government, but the latter refuses to predict what impact this decision could have on its relations with its Chinese counterpart.
“Our government is today announcing its intention to ban the use of Huawei and ZTE components in 5G telecommunications systems in Canada. This follows a thorough review [de la sécurité des réseaux] by our agencies and a consultation with our allies, including the United States,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, in a press briefing late Thursday afternoon. Mr. Champagne was accompanied by Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Security.
“The 5G networks that are being rolled out across the country right now represent a major opportunity for our competitiveness and growth, but it also comes with certain risks,” added Marco Mendicino. “It is our responsibility to help Canadians seize these opportunities while protecting them from risk. »
Canada is thus imitating its closest political allies, even if it has been slow to do so. « It was not a race, » reminded Minister Champagne several times. This also confirms Ottawa’s concern about the risks of espionage and infiltration by Chinese government agents in an infrastructure deemed strategic for the country’s security through Chinese equipment.
« For Canada First »
MM. Champagne and Mendocino did not want to comment on the repercussions that this decision could have within the Chinese government, which could take this news very badly. “We made a decision for Canada first and which is in line with what has already been decided by our allies,” insisted François-Philippe Champagne.
This delay will have had the benefit of allowing Canadian network providers to find suppliers other than these two Chinese companies to help them build their 5G networks, which will minimize the negative effects this announcement could have on their operations.
MM. Champagne and Mendocino also announced that a broader and more detailed legislative framework on infrastructure security affecting the finance, telecommunications, energy and transport sectors will be unveiled shortly.
The opposition parties have not failed to point out the slowness with which the Liberal government has acted on this file. « For years, the Liberal government’s inaction on this decision has been an international embarrassment, » said Conservative MPs Raquel Dancho and Gerard Deltell.
« Today’s decision to permanently ban Huawei from Canada’s 5G network is long overdue, » said NDP MP Brian Masse.
More than three years of conflict
The announcement comes nearly three years after former Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale promised a quick decision ahead of the 2019 federal election on Huawei’s allowed role in building 5G networks in the country.
These fifth-generation wireless networks represent a significant technological advancement and are considered by many experts to be critical infrastructure since it is considered by many to be the wireless equivalent of high-speed wired networks. Many believe that 5G will allow the creation of new applications and transformative technologies for the economy in the same way as the first 3G networks were a little over a decade ago.
Ensuring the sustainability of these networks is therefore an issue that governments around the world take very seriously. In this context, the proximity to the Chinese government of the main executives of Huawei – an equipment manufacturer which has largely taken advantage of favorable business conditions in China to get ahead in the development of its own wireless technology – quickly worried many Western countries.
The Canadian government has also had to juggle a diplomatic crisis linked to the arrest in the country and at the request of the United States of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, three and a half years ago. In retaliation, China later arrested two Canadian businessmen – Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Ms. Wanzhou was released last September. A few days later, the two Michaels returned to Canada.
In addition to national security issues, other questions have also been raised in recent months by various telecommunications experts about Huawei’s role in the debacle of Canadian equipment manufacturer Nortel in the early 2000s.
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