/ world today news/ The news comes after Swedish authorities excluded Huawei from auctions for radio frequency spectrum and building the national 5G infrastructure, along with numerous nations from the Five Eyes alliance, citing alleged national security concerns.
The decision drew criticism from Beijing, which could potentially retaliate by blocking the Swedish telco from China’s 5G networks.
Chinese telecommunications companies have invited Ericsson to join 5G tests in a final “interview” process, the Global Times reported this week, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The source added that Ericsson’s participation in tests with Chinese mobile operators would not guarantee that the authorities in Beijing would approve the Swedish company.
He added that Sweden should review its policy towards China.
According to the source, Sweden’s decision to exclude Chinese telecommunications companies such as Huawei from the country’s 5G deployment, namely without facts and evidence, was arbitrary and very “bad in nature”.
The invitation was just an “interview opportunity” and not a formal hiring by a Swedish firm, as the Chinese people would not tolerate “vicious acts against themselves,” the source said of the situation.
He added:
“Sweden shuts down Huawei while Ericsson plans to continue taking orders in China, tantamount to breaking Chinese companies’ bowls.”
“However, they still want their own companies to continue to eat the cake in the Chinese market. Will 1.4 billion Chinese people agree?” he asks himself.
The news comes as China’s four largest telecommunications companies – China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Broadcasting Network Corporation – have begun testing 5G across the country.
Both domestic and foreign telecommunications companies such as Huawei, ZTE, Nokia, Ericsson and others have joined the tests.
The source added that Ericsson did not have advantages over domestic and foreign 5G equipment suppliers such as Huawei, Nokia and ZTE. But analysts added that Ericsson had “fair” access to the Chinese market.
“China provides a fair environment for Ericsson’s operations in China despite the Huawei issue,” Xiang Ligang, director general of the Information Consumer Association told the Global Times.
According to Xiang, Ericsson and Nokia account for up to 20% of China’s 5G market so far.
The Swedish move to block the Huawei
The news comes after Sweden’s Posts and Telecommunications Authority (PTS) banned Huawei and ZTE from bidding for 5G spectrum in October last year, citing national security concerns, without further explanation.
Huawei appealed the decision in January, but the move was rejected by the Swedish courts.
Ericsson CEO Borge Ekholm has repeatedly criticized the decision and warned it could reposition the company, citing the need for fairer market practices and increased competition to drive technological innovation.
Mr Ekholm also said the decision would delay the national rollout of 5G in Sweden due to fewer participants.
Many countries have banned the two Chinese telecom giants amid Washington’s ongoing trade war with China.
Among them stand out India, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom and, of course, the United States itself.
They cite alleged national security concerns that the network could be used for espionage by the Chinese government.
Executives from Huawei, ZTE and other Chinese technology companies have repeatedly and vehemently denied the allegations and said the countries have not provided evidence on the matter.
Translation: SM
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