An executive at Huawei has said the company will build a 5G factory in France, regardless of government’s decision on whether to use its equipment in a new 5G network, according to source, Reuters.
5G mobile base station
The company, who are the world’s biggest telecom equipment maker, announced its plans to build a 5G manufacturing plant in France only last week. Huawei chairman, Liang Hua said Huawei would invest €200 million in the first phase of setting up the new 5G mobile base station plant and that it would create 500 jobs. It also looked to be a good strategic move, to ease worldwide spying concerns.
Huawei is currently being accused by the US of being a national security threat and a spy for Beijing. As well as banning Huawei from supplying 5G infrastructure to the US telecom market, the US is calling on its allies to do the same - pitting America against China in what has essentially become a 5G war, in which Europe is a hot commodity.
“The plant will be built in France, whatever the French government’s decision”
Huawei's Minggang Zhang
“The plant will be built in France, whatever the French government’s decision, as it is part of our strategy,” Huawei France’s deputy chief executive Minggang Zhang told source, Reuters.
Will Huawei be barred?
France’s cybersecurity agency is currently screening 5G equipment, including that from Huawei, for deployment in its new network. French President, Emmanuel Macron has said that he would never look to stigmatise any particular telecoms operator or any particular country. However, industry rumours are that Huawei fears it’ll be barred, even if there is no formal bar.
When asked whether Huawei’s project to build the plant and create 500 jobs could amount to blackmail to buy goodwill from the French government on the upcoming 5G tender, French Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire said: “No one, and certainly not me, would give in to any blackmail whatsoever.”
