Top US Congressman lauds India’s decision to exclude China from 5G trials

Washington DC: Michael McCaul, US House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican, and China Task Force Chairman, has praised India's decision to exclude Chinese "Communist Party-controlled" companies from participating in the country's 5G networks.

"India's decision to exclude Huawei and ZTE from its 5G trials is good news for the people of India and the world. People's Republic of China law requires any Chinese company - including Huawei and ZTE - to work for the Chinese Communist Party if asked," McCaul said in a statement.

"It's a risk that can't be mitigated unless these companies are excluded from our networks, and I'm glad that India has recognized this threat. India has once again proven why it is a global leader in the fight against security threats posed by CCP-controlled technology," he added.

The China Task Force report released last year called for the US government to work with partners and allies, like India, to ensure "CCP-controlled technology" companies do not have access to their 5G networks.

On Tuesday, India granted permission to several telecom service providers to conduct a six-month trial for the use and application of 5G technology in the country, except for the Chinese firms.

The Indian Telecom Ministry granted approval to over a dozen firms spanning multiple nationalities - Jio Platforms, Airtel, Vodafone Idea and MTNL, reported TechCrunch.

These firms, the ministry said, will work with original equipment manufacturers and tech providers Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and C-Dot. Jio Platforms, additionally, has been granted permission to conduct trials using its own homegrown technology.

In a press note, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) did not specify anything about China, but a person familiar with the matter confirmed that Chinese giants Huawei and ZTE are not among those who have received the approval, reported TechCrunch.