Huawei can participate in France 5G construction – Macron

Chinese manufacturing giant, Huawei, has been at the hub of controversies since the U.S. ban hit early last year. Many allies of the U.S. have already excluded Huawei from its 5G construction. Some European countries will not use Huawei’s equipment in their 5G construction. However, France will not ban Huawei from its 5G network. According to recent reports, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France will not exclude Huawei from its 5G network. However, he did not hide his preference for European companies. 

Macron said that there are also Ericsson and Nokia in Europe that can serve as 5G suppliers. In order to ensure the security of domestic communications, it is normal to choose a European supplier. According to Macron, Chinese President, Xi Jinping, is very much aware of his preference for European companies such as Ericsson and Nokia, saying “you would do the same as me”.

French information security agency ANSSI said last month that Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. will not be prohibited from entering the French market. However, French telecom operators that purchase its technology will only be able to obtain an eight-year license. The French government stated that it would restrict the use of Huawei’s 5G technology to protect the information security of its military bases, nuclear facilities, and other sensitive locations.

Other countries that will not ban Huawei

Since the beginning of last year, the American government has been imposing all sorts of bans on Huawei. It is not only banning the company, it is also persuading all its allies to do the same. Recently, the United Kingdom finally bowed to the pressure after it officially announced that it will stop purchasing new Huawei equipment from December 31, 2020. Furthermore, all Huawei’s equipment currently in the U.K. must be out by the end of 2027.

Both the U.S. and U.K. are major economies thus it is a big loss for the Chinese manufacturer. However, there are many other European economies that are not joining the bandwagon, at least not yet. The likes of Australia and Canada are already on the same “bus” with the U.S. and the U.K. However the likes of France, Germany, Spain, Sweeden, Ireland, and Hungary will use Huawei’s equipment. The strained relationship between the U.S and China is the major reason behind Huawei’s current predicament.