Huawei and ZTE shut out from Japanese 5G infrastructure

Last week, Reuters reported that Japan was considering banning public purchases of telecommunications equipment by Chinese telecommunications giants Huawei and ZTE, in order to avoid weakening its defences against cyber attacks and espionage. Now, following discussions between the cyber-security officials representing relevant Japanese ministries, the Japanese government has decided to effectively exclude Huawei and ZTE from public procurement. According to a spokesperson for SoftBank – the country’s third latest telecommunications company – the company would continue to observe government policy and consider its options, although the amount of its pre-installed equipment derived from Chinese companies is “relatively small”.