(Ottawa) The Chinese ambassador to Canada calls on the federal government to ignore “fabricated” US warnings about Huawei and to allow the Chinese telecommunications giant to participate in the country’s 5G networks.
Ambassador Cong Peiwu made the comments during a broad discussion on Tuesday in which he also warned Canada against any official contact with Taiwan and lambasted the United States for a planned diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Olympics. winter.
The discussion hosted by the Center for International Governance Innovation comes as the Liberal government appears poised to finally decide whether Huawei will be allowed to participate in the next-generation 5G internet network powered by artificial intelligence.
Canada is the only member of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance – whose members include the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand – that has yet to announce a decision despite years of study and safety reviews.
The other four countries have all banned or restricted Huawei’s involvement in their own networks, citing concerns that allowing the company’s equipment in their upgraded data networks could make them more vulnerable to Chinese espionage. .
Mr Cong hit back at such concerns in a discussion hosted by the Waterloo, Ont., CIGI think tank, describing the US warnings over Huawei as a ‘ploy’ intended to harm Huawei and other companies Chinese.
No “hard evidence” of a security threat
Over the years, various reports have raised concerns about Huawei equipment, especially in Europe and Africa, but the ambassador maintained that there was no “concrete evidence” that Huawei poses a security threat. .
“It’s invented by the United States,” Ambassador Cong said. And the main goal is to crack down on Huawei. ”
Mr Cong went on to accuse the United States itself of being the “greatest threat” in spying, including from its own allies. Washington has been accused on several occasions over the years of spying on top European politicians, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“It’s the United States that has been doing this stuff for the last few decades,” he said. Even while watching their allies, their main ally. So this is the greatest threat to the world. ”
The Canadian government has delayed its decision on Huawei because China had until recently jailed two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, in what was widely seen as retaliation for Canada’s arrest of the leader. from Huawei, Meng Wanzhou.
But a decision is now expected after the release of the “two Michael” in September after more than 1,000 days in prison in China. Their release came after US authorities dropped their charges against Meng Wanzhou over allegations of fraud.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne signaled that the government could reject Huawei as a 5G supplier when he told The Canadian Press last month that the government only wanted to deal with “partners of confidence ”in future artificial intelligence companies.
The fifth generation – or 5G – internet will be powered by artificial intelligence-based cloud computing that is expected to transform everyday life, enabling self-driving cars and automated medical care, including surgeries.
A business decision
Mr. Cong, who insisted that this is a private company and not a branch of the Chinese government as some have argued, said he hoped Canada “would take its lead on its own. decision and would not listen to the opinion of the United States ”.
He added that the decision on Huawei should be based on business, not national security, and warned that Huawei’s rejection could hurt Canada’s position among foreign investors as a welcoming business environment.
While Huawei dominated part of the discussion on China-Canada relations, Mr. Cong also touched on another increasingly sensitive topic by warning Canadian officials against any move to Taiwan.
The Chinese government views island democracy as a rogue province and there have been growing fears in recent weeks and months that Beijing is launching an invasion that would call for intervention by the United States and its allies.
Canada has long subscribed to what is known as the One China Policy, which states that there is only one Chinese government, does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign country and therefore has no official diplomatic relations with Taipei.
In his remarks, Cong said his government hopes Canada “will continue to honor the one-China principle and ensure that you are not engaged in official contacts with Taiwan.”
He also criticized the US government’s announcement of a “diplomatic boycott” of the February Winter Olympics in Beijing because of the human rights situation in China, including the treatment of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities.
The ambassador has repeatedly described the allegations that China is engaged in genocide against Uyghurs in Xinjiang province as “the lie of the century” and accused the United States of politicizing sport with its plan not to send delegation to the Olympics.