Singapore keeps options open on Huawei, says any 5G vendor must meet security standards
- The Trump administration says Huawei represents a security threat because it enables spying for China, which Huawei has repeatedly denied.
Singapore has not taken a specific position on any particular vendor when it comes to 5G networks but requires that any prospective operator must meet the standards for resilience and security set by the government, according to S. Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information.
Iswaran, speaking at a press briefing at the conclusion of the Asia-Pacific ICT Ministerial Meeting, was answering a question about Singapore’s plans for 5G and attitudes toward Shenzhen-based Huawei Technologies, which the US included on a trade blacklist in mid-May.
The Trump administration said Huawei represents a security threat because it enables spying for China, which Huawei has repeatedly denied. The US is also pressing its allies and trade partners not to use 5G equipment by Huawei, threatening to withhold intelligence sharing if they proceed to install network gear from the Chinese telecoms giant.
Asked whether the US concerns were brought up at the two-day meeting of the 38-member group, which includes China but not the US, Iswaran, who is also chairman of the ministerial meeting, said the issue was “not explicitly discussed,” without elaborating.
Singapore counts both the US and China as its key trading partners. Many US-based multinational companies have their Asia headquarters in Singapore, while the city state has several high-level bilateral projects with China, including in Suzhou and Tianjin.
