Several European nations have reportedly decided to break with the US-led efforts to ban major Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei Technologies Co. from their markets.
French President Emmanuel Macron was cited as saying in a Reuters report on Friday that it is not in France’s best interests to block Huawei, and that it would not be appropriate to wage a technological war or a trade battle, underlining that he believes in cooperation and multilateralism to generate employment, expand businesses and improve innovation.
He announced in Paris on Thursday that France will permit the Chinese company to build its 5G network infrastructure while safeguarding the country’s national security.
This is while President of Germanys Federal Network Agency Jochen Homann further stated on Thursday that Berlin does not plan to exclude Huawei from building its 5G network either.
His organization had recently updated the country’s network security requirements, and any company that meets the criteria can participate in network building. Homann also pointed out that no evidence has emerged so far showing that Huawei has acted against any regulations in Germany.
British authorities have also allowed Huawei to assist in building the "non-core" infrastructure of the United Kingdom’s 5G network, as the country’s telecommunications provider Vodafone already declared plans to turn on its 5G service by using Huawei technology in the UK on July 3.
Huawei, meanwhile, intends to unveil its latest 5G smartphone -- the Mate 20 X -- in the UK next month.
Last Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced a national emergency and signed an executive order, adding Huawei to a trade blacklist in a bid to curb its business dealings with American companies.
The Chinese company in turn lambasted as “unreasonable” Trump’s declaration to ban what he referred to as telecommunications equipment from “foreign adversaries” perceived to pose a national security risk.
“If the US restricts Huawei, it will not make the US safer, nor will it make the US stronger. It will only force the US to use inferior and expensive alternative equipment, lagging behind other countries... and ultimately harming US companies and consumers,” said Huawei Technologies Co Ltd in a statement cited in Chinese media reports on Wednesday.
Europe bigger threat than China
Meanwhile, the US president further complained on Friday that the European Union’s trade barriers were damaging American manufacturing, making the bloc even more harmful to the US than China.
Addressing a gathering of real estate agents in Washington, Trump said, “The European Union treats us, I would say, worse than China, they’re just smaller.”
“They have trade barriers. They don’t want our farm products, they don’t want our cars. They send Mercedes-Benz’s in here like they’re cookies. They send BMWs here. We hardly tax them at all,” he added.
In a proclamation released on Friday, Trump declared that some imported vehicles and parts from the EU and Japan pose a national security threat to the US.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/11174
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