Canadian military reportedly wants Trudeau to ban Huawei from country’s 5G networks

Senior military officials told the Canadian government they believe allowing Huawei a role in 5G would threaten national security, according to a report

American officials have warned the US might be forced to hold back secret intelligence from Canada if the prime minister gives Huawei a role

Reading Time:2 minutes

Published: 9:43am, 11 Feb 2020Updated: 3:42pm, 13 Feb 2020

Canada’s military wants Justin Trudeau to ban Huawei Technologies from the nation’s fifth-generation wireless networks, according to The Globe and Mail.

Senior military officials including Canada’s top soldier have told the government they believe allowing the Chinese company a role in 5G would threaten national security, the newspaper reported Monday, citing an unnamed official familiar with the matter.

Donald Trump has been pushing allies to shut the Shenzhen-based tech giant out, citing concerns its gear could be vulnerable to Chinese spies. American officials have warned the US might be forced to hold back secret intelligence from Canada if the prime minister gives Huawei a role, despite the company’s repeated denials it poses a security risk.

Canada is the only member of the so-called Five Eyes network of intelligence-sharing nations that has yet to decide what to do with Huawei. Australia and New Zealand followed the US lead in banning it, but UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government opted for a mixed approach in a January 28 decision that disappointed the White House.

Looming large over Trudeau’s decision is the case of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer. Her arrest in Vancouver at the end of 2018 on a US extradition request plunged the northern nation’s relations with China into their darkest period in a half-century. Beijing locked up two Canadians and halted key agricultural imports in the months that followed.

The rift with China contributed to a 16 per cent plunge in exports to the Asian powerhouse last year, the largest drop in data going back to 1997.

Trudeau’s public safety minister said last month the government is studying the UK decision. An outright ban could compel companies like BCE and Telus to rip out existing Huawei equipment to accommodate a new supplier, The Globe and Mail reported.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x