France Won’t Ban Huawei But Prefers European 5G Providers

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has stated that France will not ban Chinese telecom provider Huawei from involvement in its future 5G networks but will give preference to European vendors over security concerns. The French President made remarks following a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi which he stated he had already indicated to Chinese President Xi Jinping. France’s information security agency ANSSI has previously stated that French telecom operators using Huawei’s equipment will receive licenses for a maximum of eight years and the technology will be restricted to protect sensitive locations like military bases and nuclear installations. Huawei continues to be in the midst of a U.S. and China dispute with U.S. officials claiming Huawei poses a security risk and Chinese officials seeking to gain commitment from Europeans for access to their markets for Chinese telecom and technology providers.