India refuses Chinese companies to conduct 5G trials, China unhappy
India has disallowed top Chinese telecom companies from conducting 5G trials in the country even as it gave permission to over a dozen Indian and foreign service providers. The move by the Indian authorities has earned applause from counterparts in the United States, while officials from China expressed concern over the decision. Here are more details on this.
Airtel, Jio, Idea granted approval to conduct trials
India's Department of Telecommunications on Tuesday granted permission to mobile service operators Bharti Airtel, Reliance JioInfocomm, Vodafone Idea and MTNL, and telecom gear makers such as the state-run C-DOT, Sweden's Ericsson, Finland's Nokia, and South Korea's Samsung to conduct 5G trials across India for a period of six months. But top Chinese companies - Huawei and ZTE - did not find a mention.
In 2019, India had allowed Huawei to participate in trials
To recall, back in 2019, the Indian government had allowed Huawei to participate in 5G trials in the country. Notably, the Chinese giant is already banned in the US since an order by former President Donald Trump. President Trump had signed an executive order on May 15, 2019, banning the use of telecommunications equipment from foreign firms deemed a risk to the national security.
'Good news for the people of India and the world'
Lawmakers in the United States have applauded India's move. "India's decision to exclude Huawei and ZTE from its 5G trials is good news for the people of India and the world," said Michael McCaul, China Task Force Chairman. "People's Republic of China law requires any Chinese company - including Huawei and ZTE - to work for the Chinese Communist Party if asked," McCaul warned.
'Glad that India recognized the threat'
"It's a risk that can't be mitigated unless these companies are excluded from our networks, and I'm glad India has recognized this threat. India has once again proven why it's a global leader in the fight against security threats posed by CCP-controlled technology," McCaul added.
'Thank you to India,' says Congressman Mike Waltz
Meanwhile, Congressman Mike Waltz also thanked India for the decision. "Thank you to India for denying the inclusion of CCP-run Huawei in their telecommunications," Waltz said, according to news agency PTI. "As the world's largest democracy, India will be a critical ally in confronting China and securing our supply chains," he was quoted as saying.
China expressed 'concern and regret' over the decision
China, on the other hand, expressed concern over the decision. Chinese Embassy spokesperson Wang Xiaojian expressed, "concern and regret that Chinese telecommunications companies have not been permitted to conduct 5G trials with Indian telecom service providers." "The Chinese side hopes that India could do more to enhance mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries," Wang further said.
India-China ties have soured since last April
The bilateral ties between China and India have soured severely since last April, after the forces of both the countries engaged in clashes and skirmishes near the disputed Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh. Both sides suffered numerous casualties in the clashes. India has since banned more than 260 Chinese-origin mobile apps and also curbed foreign direct investment from the country.
