Trudeau responds to Conservative call for decision on adding Huawei to Canada's 5G network

After the Federal Conservative Party introduced a motion this week demanding a decision from the Liberal Government on Huawei’s participation in Canada’s 5G network, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government “will continue to trust our security agencies and experts when it comes to making this important decision.”

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday morning, Trudeau said his government has “worked with our allies, consulted broadly, and I can tell you that the decision we will make will be based on the recommendations of our security agencies.”

The motion calls on the Trudeau government to make a decision on Huawei within the next 30 days, and present a plan to combat what the Conservatives say is an increase in foreign interference from China.

“Intellectual property theft, counterfeiting and digital piracy are not exceptions to our dealings with China; they are the reality,” said Conservative Party Leader Erin O’ Toole during a press conference this week. “It’s high time our government and many corporate leaders realize that. For too long, our country has watched the long arm of Beijing establish itself on our soil.”

Last year, the Trudeau government said a decision on adding Huawei to Canada’s 5G network would be made before the federal election on October 21, 2019. 

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Canada has been at diplomatic odds with China since December of 2018, when the company’s CFO, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Vancouver.

In March 2019, Canada announced that Wanzhou’s extradition hearing could proceed.

Then, just days later, China sued Canada over the arrest of Meng.

In the spring of this year, a judge ruled that Meng must stay in Canada and keep fighting the US extradition order.