Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Navdeep Bains, has said the country will not be pressured into make a decision on Huawei.
Canada is part of the Five Eyes group of countries that work closely on intelligence. Of the group, the U.S., Australia and New Zealand have banned Huawei from their 5G networks, while the UK has opted to include the Chinese firm in a limited role. Canada has yet to decide, but is warning the country must do what is best for itself.
According to Bloomberg, Bains told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. “We will make sure that we proceed in a manner that’s in our national interest. We won’t get bullied by any other jurisdictions.”
“Countries have raised their concerns. We’re engaged with our Five Eyes partners. We know that this is a very important issue,” he added. “But we will make a decision that makes sense for Canadians and protects Canadians.”
The U.S. has been pressuring its allies, both in the Five Eyes and EU, to ban Huawei. It’s safe to say the U.S. certainly wants to win over its closest ally geographically but, based on Bains’ remarks, that may be easier said than done.
