Canada To Ban Huawei, ZTE 5G Gear Like Its Five Eyes Allies

Canada said it plans to ban the use of China's Huawei Technologies and ZTE 5G gear to protect national security, joining the rest of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, Reuters reported.

Photo Insert: The Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen, China

"We intend to exclude Huawei and ZTE from our 5G networks," Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told reporters in Ottawa. "Providers who already have this equipment installed will be required to cease its use and remove it under the plans we're announcing today."

Champagne added that companies will be required to remove their 5G gear by June 2024, and would not be reimbursed. Companies using their 4G equipment must be removed by the end of 2027.

The decision — widely expected — had been delayed amid diplomatic tensions with China. The rest of the Five Eyes network — which consists of Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand — have already banned the equipment.

In September 2018, Canada first announced it would review the possible threats to national security in adopting Huawei equipment.

Then in December of the same year, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on a US warrant, creating a long-running dispute with China that finally ended last September with Meng's release.

After Meng's arrest, two Canadians were arrested by Beijing and accused of espionage.

The two men were released the same day as Meng. Now diplomatic tensions between China and Canada have eased somewhat. On Wednesday, China removed a three-year restriction on imports of Canadian canola seed, reversing what was considered a retaliatory move for Meng's arrest.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic