Warming Canada-China relations shouldn’t extend to Huawei ban, say security experts, parliamentarians

After Prime Minister Mark Carney inked a new trading arrangement with China during his state visit last week, stakeholders are advising against revisiting the government’s 5G ban on Huawei. As thawing bilateral relations between Canada and China produce new trading partnerships on electric vehicles and agricultural products, it would “not be wise” for Prime Minister Mark Carney to revisit the government’s 5G ban on the Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, according to former Canadian Security Intelligence Service director Ward Elcock. “There’s an important security rationale behind keeping them off the 5G network,” Elcock, who led CSIS from 1994 to 2004, told The Hill Times. “If you allow a foreign communications network into your system, then you’re creating holes and gaps.” “I don’t think it should be on the table … and I’d be very surprised if it is.” Carney’s (Nepean, Ont.) trip to China last week marked the first time a Canadian prime minister had visited the nation in more than eight years. Following then-prime minister Justin Trudeau’s state visit in 2017, Canada-China relations deteriorated after the 2018 arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver, B.C., which was followed by China’s imprisonment of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Meng had been arrested by the RCMP after the United States submitted a request for her extradition, owing to an arrest warrant and fraud charges issued by a New York court. Ultimately, the U.S. withdrew its extradition request in exchange for Meng admitting wrongdoing and paying a fine. In 2021, she returned to China and the Chinese government released the Two Michaels from detention shortly thereafter. However, the following year, Trudeau’s government announced its intention to ban Huawei and ZTE, a tech firm partially owned by the Chinese government, from the country’s 5G networks, citing the potential for security threats. Though not officially a state-owned corporation, Huawei, the world’s largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, has long been suspected of operating under the influence of the Chinese government, which Canada labelled as an “increasingly disruptive global power” in its 2022 Indo-Pacific strategy. China was also identified by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue as one of the largest perpetrators of foreign interference in Canadian democratic processes, following a recent public inquiry into the subject. “The Chinese would never have bought Nortel, even though Nortel tried in vain to sell stuff to them,” said Elcock, who is also a former deputy minister of national defence. “So, I think it’s highly improbable, and the government would face a lot of criticism, if they allowed Huawei into our network.” “It just makes no sense because of Canada’s security interests.” Huawei products also face partial or comprehensive restrictions from each of Canada’s Five Eyes intelligence partners, including the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. In fact, the federal government’s announcement followed years of American officials lobbying against the admittance of Huawei. Additionally, it should be noted that Canada’s ban, which would also prohibit domestic telcos from deploying Huawei and ZTE products, is not yet technically enforceable. Following the initial announcement, the Trudeau government brought forward Bill C-26, which introduced new government powers over the country’s telecommunications systems and, effectively, granted Ottawa the ability to ban specified vendors that pose security concerns. But, despite progressing through the House of Commons, the Senate amended C-26 after finding a drafting error that could have voided much of the bill. C-26 returned to the House in December 2024, but MPs did not address the Senate’s recommendation before Trudeau prorogued Parliament early the following year, which effectively killed the proposed legislation. Carney’s government has since revived the bill, now known as Bill C-8, which is currently being studied by the House Public Safety Committee. When asked if the Liberals are still committed to banning Huawei—if and when C-8 becomes law—Simon Lafortune, a spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree (Scarborough–Guildwood–Rouge Park, Ont.), said the government “looks forward to this legislation continuing through the usual parliamentary process,” but did not respond to follow-up questions. Chinese realize it’s a ‘non-starter,’ says Sen. Gignac For Canadian Senators Group Senator Clement Gignac, co-chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association, reversing the ban remains a low priority for Chinese officials, likely because they realize it’s a “non-starter” issue for Canada. “We cannot have a different policy from our partners in the Five Eyes,” said Gignac (Kennebec, Que.). “Whatever we think about Huawei and their products, at the end of the day, we will follow our strategic partners.” “So, I do not see any kind of change in this policy regarding national security and Huawei.” Gignac and his co-chair, Liberal MP Zoe Royer (Port Moody–Coquitlam, B.C.), led a parliamentary delegation of Canadians to visit China last March, while the pair also hosted a group of Chinese officials in the nation’s capital this past December. “In March, when I met them, they never raised with me … and when we hosted them in December, they never raised that file,” continued Gignac. “They have never questioned our judgement in Canada because this thing is about strategic national security. It’s domestic affairs for us, and they respect that.” The Hill Times asked Industry Minister Mélanie Joly’s (Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que.) office if the government was anticipating any discussions about Huawei during Carney’s recent trip to China, but a spokesperson redirected the inquiry to the Prime Minister’s Office, which did not provide a response. NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.) said she believes Huawei should not be “on the table” during the government’s trip to China, but she’s concerned about what she calls a developing pattern of the Liberals engaging with nations “where there are indications of concern.” “I see the Carney administration setting aside human rights violations and Canada’s national security, and putting all of that on the back burner,” said Kwan, who herself has been victimized by suspected Chinese foreign interference. “Carney is actively pursuing these countries that have been flagged as a deep concern for Canada.” “To me, that is very alarming.” Ban gives Canadians ‘false sense of security,’ says expert However, some stakeholders suggested the 5G ban on Huawei may not be the most effective policy approach for Canada. Ali Dehghantanha, a professor at Guelph University and Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity and Threat, said Ottawa’s priority should be strengthening telecommunications security measures, rather than prohibiting handpicked companies from accessing Canadian networks. “When they originally put these restrictions on Huawei…, I was among those people who were against them,” said Dehghantanha in an interview. “To me, the rationale for limited access of a vendor to our infrastructure will not solve any security issues.” He explained that the ban is “easy” to bypass, as many Canadian firms continue to use Chinese materials and products in their offerings. “Restricting access just because a vendor is headquartered in a certain place is meaningless,” Dehghantanha said. “We’ve seen a majority of Canadian providers still have Chinese products as part of their products, like chips, boards, or controllers … and I’m not against that because it’s cost-effective. “But the optics are not good because we’re giving a false sense of security.” Instead of an outright ban, which makes Canada’s market less competitive, Dehghantanha called on Carney’s government to address our “real security problems” created by weak standards in the telecommunications industry. “ needs to specify proper guidelines or mandates that, if a device wants to be deployed on the network, show what security criteria it has to pass,” he said. “That is something that is completely missing.” “We have what is called best practices, but they have no teeth , for example, no one is going to show up at one of Rogers’ stations and start validating it.” Meanwhile, Independent Senator Yuen Pau Woo (British Columbia) suggested any national security decisions taken under the influence of U.S. intelligence should be reviewed, considering the ongoing rupture in Canada-U.S. relations. “I have no information whatsoever that anyone in the government is thinking about restoring Huawei 5G networks,” said Woo. “ I don’t think we would be wrong to revisit each with fresh eyes, particularly if the original decisions were made based on American advice or coercion.” “Perhaps we’ll reach the same conclusions, but unless we … have identified risks from a Canadian vantage point, we should not be making decisions that harm ourselves.” dlegree@hilltimes.com This story has been cross-published with The Hill Times.

Warming Canada-China relations shouldn’t extend to Huawei ban, say security experts, parliamentarians

Telecom |
By Davis Legree
|January 20, 2026

After Prime Minister Mark Carney inked a new trading arrangement with China during his state visit last week, stakeholders are advising against revisiting the government’s 5G ban on Huawei.

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Warming Canada-China relations shouldn’t extend to Huawei ban, say security experts, parliamentarians

Telecom | By Davis Legree |January 20, 2026

After Prime Minister Mark Carney inked a new trading arrangement with China during his state visit last week, stakeholders are advising against revisiting the government’s 5G ban on Huawei.

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