SHERBROOKE, QUEâPublic Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says the federal government wonât be âdeterredâ as it considers whether to allow Huawei access to 5G networks, pushing back on an implied threat from China that Canada would face economic reprisals if the technology firm is blocked.Goodale said Friday that the government continues to examine the security and technical considerations around 5G networks, the next generation of wireless technology, but offered no timeline when to expect a decision.But he said the coming decision would be based on âCanadaâs national interestâ and not pressure from Beijing.Read more:Chinaâs ambassador accuses Canada of âbackstabbingâ in arrest of Huawei executive Meng WanzhouCanada Huawei 5G decision said to be months awayThe promise of 5G is the problem with Huawei in eyes of criticsâWeâve made it abundantly clear that we will not compromise national security,â Goodale told reporters at the Liberalâs cabinet retreat.Chinese Ambassador Lu Shaye said Thursday that if Huawei is banned when there is âno evidenceâ to justify any security concerns, there will be ârepercussionsâ for the bilateral relationship. He said he was unsure what those would be.Asked Thursday for his reaction, Goodale sought to downplay the warning of economic punishment.âWe understand that those sorts of comments will be made in the process but we will make our judgment based on whatâs right for Canada and not be deterred from making the right decision,â he said.âItâs a tough decision-making process but you canât shrink from the challenges,â Goodale said.Other countries, such as New Zealand and Australia, have banned Huawei from their 5G infrastructure, citing national security concerns that the firm could be exploited for espionage by the Chinese government.âOther countries have obviously made their views kno ...
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