Canadian military wants Huawei banned from 5G networks

High up military officials are urging the government not to allow the Chinese company a role in Canada’s 5G networks because they see the company as a threat to national security.

Trump has been warning US allies about similar concerns stating that Chinese spies could possibly gain access to secretive information. The US has told Canada that they may have to stop sharing certain intelligence information if Huawei is involved in Canada’s networks.

Within the Five Eyes network, Canada is the only nation that hasn’t made up their mind as to whether or not they will be working with the company. The US banned the company and New Zealand and Australia followed suit. Boris Johnson on the other hand decided that the UK would allow Huawei partial access to their networks.

Canadian MP Erin O’Toole is among those who have stated that they side with the Canadian military on the issue.

Canadian and Chinese relations have been rocky ever since the arrest of the company’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. The arrest took place in Vancouver in 2018 after a request was made by the U.S. Since the arrest, China has locked up two Canadians—Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in Beijing. Certain agricultural imports also came to a standstill.

Last month, the public safety minister noted that the government is paying close attention to the UK Huawei decision.