Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad’s visit to Huawei in Beijing seen as sign of ‘endorsement’
- Trip comes at a time when the telecoms firm has been vilified by the West over national security concerns
- Some of Malaysia’s major telecoms operators, such as Maxis and Axiata, are already Huawei customers
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad visited Huawei Technologies’ Beijing office on Thursday morning in what was seen as a sign of Malaysian support for the Chinese telecommunications equipment supplier.
Mahathir’s visit could be seen as an “endorsement” for Huawei which is still in the running to provide 5G gear for the country’s telecoms networks, according to a source familiar with the matter who declined to be named talking about confidential matters. However, no technology deals would be made on this visit, according to the source.
“Malaysia is one of Huawei’s top markets for smartphones in Southeast Asia and Huawei has also taken part in building its 4G network,” said Jia Mo, a Shanghai-based analyst with Canalys, adding that the visit was a positive signal for Huawei’s further expansion in the country.
Huawei has traditionally drawn its strength from mature telecoms markets like Europe, but Southeast Asia has become a key stronghold thanks to strategic partnerships with all the major telecoms players in the region, from Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia to Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.
Mahathir’s visit comes at a time when Huawei has been vilified by the West, in particular the US, over national security concerns as countries start to deploy superfast, next-generation 5G wireless networks. Mahathir is in Beijing to lead Malaysia’s delegation to the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing this week.
Shenzhen-based Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.