President Trump is right that the U.S. risks being left behind on 5G, Huawei’s rotating chairman said on Sunday in Barcelona.
Speaking at a roundtable with media on Sunday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Guo Ping said he had noticed President Trump’s tweets saying the U.S. should adopt 5G “as fast as possible” and the U.S. should not “block out” more advanced technologies
“I think his message is clear and correct,” Guo said.
While Trump’s tweets did not directly single out Huawei, it’s likely he was referring to the company as U.S. officials weigh an executive order banning Huawei’s 5G telecommunciations equipment. Huawei has been effectively left out of the U.S. market due to fears its technology will enable Chinese spying, a concern the company dismisses.
Other nations including Germany, the U.K. and New Zealand are also weighing bans on Huawei’s 5G technology.
On Sunday Guo said an executive order against Huawei “is not necessary and should not be released.” He added the ban would hurt small telecom companies in the U.S. that rely on Huawei’s equipment, which is often cheaper than its’ rivals technology.
Guo said Huawei has faced cybersecurity challenges, led by “one major power,” though he did not explicitly name the U.S. But he added the company does not need the U.S. market to be successful.
Huawei is the world’s largest provider of telecommunications equipment. Guo said the company is 12 months ahead of its rivals in implementing 5G technology.
He further added 5G standards should be deteremined by technical experts, not politicians.
“This should not be something that’s decided by the politics,” he said.
