U.S. cheers Canada’s ban on Huawei tech

WASHINGTON The U.S. State Department says it welcomes Canada’s decision to ban China’s Huawei Technologies and ZTE from its next-generation mobile networks.

Innovation Minister FrançoisPhilippe Champagne revealed the long-awaited decision Thursday, a move critics say was long overdue.

In a statement, the U.S. says it supports efforts around the world to ensure consumers and customers can trust their wireless networks and providers. It says it will continue to collaborate with Canada and other allies to ensure shared security in the 5G era.

The U.S. first began restricting domestic firms from doing business with Huawei back in 2019, and has been waiting for Canada to follow suit ever since.

During his confirmation hearing in September, U.S. ambassador to Canada David Cohen suggested Washington was growing impatient with the delay.

“We welcome Canada’s decision,” the State Department said in writing Friday in response to a query from The Canadian Press.

“The United States supports efforts to ensure countries, companies, and citizens can trust their wireless networks and their operators. We continue to collaborate with allies like Canada to ensure our shared security in a 5G future and beyond.”

That anodyne comment stands in contrast to what Cohen told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year before he was confirmed as President Joe Biden’s envoy to Canada.

“We are all waiting for Canada to release its framework for its overall China policy,” he said, describing the autocratic regime’s ambitions as an “existential threat” to the U.S.

He also promised to take part in discussions to “make sure that Canada’s policies reflect its words in terms of the treatment of China.”

At the time, Canada was walking a tightrope with China, having arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition warrant while working to free two Canadian citizens detained in retaliation by the regime.

Just days later, however, Wanzhou was released after the U.S. Department of Justice announced a deferred prosecution agreement in her case. The two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were freed by China hours later.