China Backs Huawei In Making French 5G Deal, Warns Government Against Potential Discrimination

KEY POINTS

Huawei is still far from securing the 5G deal in France
China is working to avoid unfair discrimination in choosing the partners for the French 5G infrastructure
Huawei is still under pressure from the U.S. government even in making deals with other nations

China has recently warned the French government about discriminating Huawei as it picks its partners for 5G. The French government has confirmed that it’ll make an objective decision in picking the right company for a 5G deal. China is already taking measures as the U.S. government continues to urge allies and other countries not to trust Huawei.

France is still at the start of developing its 5G infrastructure in the country right now, Reuters reported. While it narrows down its list of possible partners, the Chinese embassy has reminded France not to discriminate against Huawei when looking for technology. As of late, many local French reports have said that Huawei would be limited in the region, but French President Emmanuel Macron and other government officials have given their assurances of a fair decision.

“If, due to security concerns, the French government truly does have to impose constraints on operators, it should establish transparent criteria around this and treat all companies equally,” said the Chinese embassy.

The embassy also added that the security risks associated with Huawei following the U.S.'s ban were unfounded. Lastly, the embassy also said that it’s using Ericsson and Nokia technology to set up some of its domestic networks.

As of now, some French telecommunications companies have decided to pick their preferred 5G providers, such as Orange taking Nokia and Ericsson technology. Huawei has yet to secure any deals in France for now.

Huawei has only been successful in sealing a deal in the UK, and the country only allows Huawei with limited access to its networks. In other countries, Huawei and China often had to deal with the U.S. government’s pressure in order to sell its technology. Many countries are now holding its decision in taking up Huawei on its offer.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government is considering investing in Ericsson and Nokia to compete with Huawei in technology. Ericsson and Nokia are behind compared to Huawei’s 5G technology, but injecting funds into these two European companies could help Ericsson and Nokia catch up and compete.