Petition: Allow Huawei Canada to participate in Canada's 5G rollout

There has been considerable pressure on the federal government from the US government; from its Five Eyes intelligence network partners, namely, Australia, UK, USA, and New Zealand; and from Canada's opposition parties to remove Huawei Canada from any further participation in the deployment of Canada's 5G internet network. We ask the Prime Minister and cabinet NOT to ban Huawei Canada from participating further in the deployment of Canada's 5G network. Here are 10 reasons why:

1) Huawei is a pioneer in the development of 5G tech and remains THE world leader in its roll-out and implementation.

https://www.telecomlead.com/in-depth/huawei-to-grab-share-from-ericsson-and-nokia-in-base-station-market-101035

Canadians would be well-served by permitting Huawei to continue to participate in a world-class deployment of Canada's 5G network, rather than turn over the development of the system to less-qualified companies.

2) Huawei technology remains about 30% cheaper than its nearest competitor.
Canadians, who are accustomed to paying some of the highest fees for tech products and services in the world, would appreciate paying less, rather than more, for 5G services.

3) Despite considerable innuendo about “back doors” in Huawei products, there is a NO evidence that any of Huawei tech is compromised.

For years, Huawei has granted access to its testing facilities in the UK, Canada, Germany, and Belgium to allow independent experts in signals intelligence and cyber security to assess its equipment and software. No “back doors” have ever been detected. On the contrary, the US government compels US tech firms to cooperate with its intelligence services to permit access to US-made tech products and services.

https://www.huawei.com/en/facts

4) There is ample evidence that the move to ban Huawei from Canada’s 5G network is not based on technical criteria or considerations of merit, but rather is politically-motivated.

On October 11, 2018, just six weeks before Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested, the two chairs of the US Select Committee on Intelligence, Senators Rubio and Wagner, gave the Canadian government its marching orders: “We are concerned about the impact that any decision to include Huawei in Canada’s 5G networks will have on both Canadian national security and “Five Eyes” joint intelligence cooperation among the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada… We hope that you will reconsider Huawei’s inclusion in any aspect of Canada’s 5G development.”

The arrest of Meng herself, obsequiously carried out by the Canadian government, was also a clear indication that the Trump Administration sought to hamstring the company and keep China in a permanent state of underdevelopment in the tech sector. Finally, Obama’s “pivot to Asia”, Trump’s trade war with China, and Biden’s flirtations with Taiwan and open commitment to prevent China’s economic success all point to a sharp turn in US and Canadian foreign relations away from previously friendly relations with China towards a new cold war.

5) Huawei is an exemplary employer and asset to Canada's electronics industry.
In 2021, Forbes ranked Huawei number 8 in its annual list of World’s Best Employers.

6) Huawei has made substantial investments in Canada's research infrastructure, indicating longterm commitment to Canada's well-being.

Huawei also funds research partnerships with universities, such as the University of British Columbia, the University of Waterloo, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Guelph, and Université Laval. It’s a good corporate citizen, having voluntarily provided the infrastructure to deliver internet connectivity to the mostly-native people of Canada’s Far North. It currently employs about 1600 high-paid workers in Canada. These 1600 jobs might be threatened by a governmental ban on Huawei’s further participation in Canada’s 5G network.

7) Collaboration and trade with the rising economic superpower, China, increases the resilience of the Canadian economy:

by diversifying away from over-dependence on a single trade partner, the United States, which appears to be entering a period of overall decline. Furthermore, increasing involvement with China also brings trade opportunities with other nations in China’s rapidly expanding Belt and Road Initiative, the most significant development in global trade of the century.

8) Obstructing Huawei signals to the international community that Canada is an unreliable partner...

not above politically interfering with established principles of free and fair trade; not genuinely independent in terms of its foreign relations but remains subservient to US interests.

9) Arbitrarily excluding Huawei Canada from participating in Canada’s 5G deployment would be a violation of World Trade Organization rules.

These rules prevent national governments from discriminating against foreign-owned companies which are licensed to operate in their jurisdictions.

10) Finally, the actual cost of removing Huawei technology from Canada’s 5G network might be one billion dollars,

a burden which would have to be borne by Canadian taxpayers and internet users. Moreover, the Chinese government has threatened to retaliate against Canada for doing so. It makes much more sense to let Huawei Canada remain a partner in the deployment of the 5G network.

This petition has been submitted on behalf of the following organizations:

The Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War
The Cross-Canada Campaign to Free Meng Wanzhou
Canadian Foreign Policy Institute
Canadian Peace Congress
The Canada Files
Mouvement Québécois pour la paix
Just Peace Advocates
Green Social Democracy.org
Canada-China Council for Cooperation and Development
Regina Peace Council
Kingston Peace Council
China Solidarity Committee
Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO)
Canada-China Friendship Promotion Association
Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice

and these individuals:
Charles McFadden
Henry Evans-Tenbrinke
Mark Hagar
Tom Leys
Shanza Khan