Last Sunday, the Chinese embassy in France manifested that the French government should not discriminate against Huawei's equipment in selecting providers for its 5G mobile network development. The announcement claimed that this would prejudice Huawei's interests might be more prejudiced compared to how its competitors are treated in the market.
Since the United States warned European countries about the security risks that Huawei could pose once these nations sought the company's services in developing 5G technology, France manifested its stand about Huawei and its lack of clarity in dealing with the country. It was also announced that the company might face restrictions in several of its cities.
In a statement published on its official website, the Chinese embassy said that it was shocked and worried that the reports were not coherent with the promises made by French President Emmanuel Macron and some of the country's officials. Prior to the statement, Macron had already given repeated assurances that all companies engaged in business with France would be treated equally.
The embassy said that if the French government had security concerns over Huawei, it must also impose the same constraints on other providers and establish a transparent criterion to push through with the government's promise of equality. The statement also highlighted that there had been unfounded claims against Huawei over security concerns.
The statement further alleged that China continues to do business with foreign companies who are members of the United Nations such as Finland's Nokia and Sweden's Ericsson. He claimed that China continues to provide them with the equipment necessary for the development of their products.
Telecom operators such as France's Orange have already shared their interests in developing the 5G network with Ericsson and Nokia instead of Huawei. Nevertheless, Britain still granted Huawei limited cooperation with its 5G roll-out. Along with the European Union, Britain refused to submit to Washington's desire to impose an outright ban on all Huawei equipment in the development of 5G technology.
According to Bloomberg, the Chinese embassy's statement was prior to an auction that France would initiate this coming April 2020. Before the bidding, France's leading mobile network carrier Orange had already decided to abolish the acquisition of Huawei's services in the development of its 5G mobile network.
Two other French carriers have been relying on Huawei for the development of their 4G networks in the past. Altice Europe NV's SFR along with Bouygues SA has not yet decided on whether it would retain Huawei services in the future or not.
