Trade body demand ban on Chinese firms HUAWEI & ZTE from Indian 5G rollout

Amid high border tension between India, China, the Confederation of All India Traders ( CAIT) wrote to Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad demanding to ban HUAWEI & ZTE Corporation of China from participating in the 5G network rollout in India.

In a letter, CAIT said that HUAWEI AND ZTE should not be allowed to participate in the 5G network, citing national security concerns. In the letter, it alleged that these Chinese companies have been globally charged with a list of crimes including spying, conspiracy, money laundering, bank & wire fraud.

In the wake of the border stand-off with China, India has banned as many as 59 mobile applications — Tik Tok, UC Browser WeChat, others.

CAIT national president BC Bharrtia while complimenting the Centre for taking various steps to reduce China’s dominance after the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley said, “By banning 59 Chinese apps, cancelling highway, metro and railway contracts, the government has shown that they stand in solidarity with the nation’s sentiments and are deeply anguished with China’s attitude. The government’s actions so far have strengthened and boosted CAIT’s boycott China campaign, which was launched on June 10.”

“However, to give a stronger message to China, it is absolutely necessary that the government immediately announce the banning of Huawei and ZTE Corporation and ensure that they do not participate in the 5G rollout of India. When countries like the USA, UK and Singapore have not allowed these firms to participate in their country, there should be no second thought for India,” Bharrtia added.

Similar demands were echoed by general secretary of CAIT Praveen Khandelwal.

“The whole country today stands united with CAIT’s campaign ‘Bhartiya Samaan Hamara Abhimaan’ and has resolved to bring down Chinese imports by $13 billion by December 2021. There is a strong awakening in Indian traders and consumers that they must buy and sell Indian goods and put a permanent stop to Chinese products once and for all,” Bharrtia told India Today.