Aussie officials warn off India on Huawei input

Australian officials warned their Indian counterparts about the dangers of ‘high-risk vendors’ like Huawei participating in 5G.

Australian government officials warned their Indian counterparts about the dangers of allowing “high-risk vendors” such as ­Chinese telco Huawei to participate in their 5G network.

Australian ambassador for cyber affairs Tobias Feakin led a delegation to New Delhi last week, including officers from the Australian Signals Directorate’s Cyber Security Centre, for the Third India-Australia Cyber Dialogue.

The Australian has been told Dr Feakin’s delegation explained in detail why high-risk vendors had been banned from Australia’s 5G network. It is understood India has also consulted the US on its Huawei ban, as New Delhi considers whether to allow the telco to participate in its 5G network.

A ban by India would be a huge blow to Huawei, given the size of its potential market.

India and China share a common border and have long had strained relations, which have been inflamed by Beijing’s close relationship with Pakistan.

Huawei India chief Jay Chen said in June that the company was willing to sign a “no backdoor” agreement to ensure its equipment could not be used for ­malicious purposes.

Indian security officials have cited similar concerns about the company to those expressed in Australia, including the fact that it must comply with demands by the Chinese government to access its networks.