Huawei Chief Attacks Australian Attitude To Asian Business

Huawei Australia chairman John Lord has attacked Canberra, warning that continued hostility against China’s telco Huawei will put at risk significant trade between the two countries.

Huawei has been banned from participating in the rollout of 5G networks in Australia, a move that has been followed by the US and Canada.

Lord’s comments come following a rebuke from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which accused Australia of “disgraceful and immoral conduct” in agitating against the use of Huawei’s equipment.

According to Lord, by banning Huawei, the Australian Government is shutting the door to the innovation coming out of Asia and the market opportunity the region offers Australian companies.

“Australia is a country of between 25 million and 30 million people located at the bottom of the world – it needs to have access to, and to use of, all of the leading innovation and technology being produced globally,” he said.

“The fact is that Asia is no longer simply about mass producing cheap consumer goods, it is now moving to a different plane and is producing cutting-edge technology across a range of fields.” he said.