We recently had some rationality in this debate from UK's Alex Younger on Huawei. NZ's largest carrier Spark, wanted to use Huawei in its 5G network, but for the outer RAN (Radio Access Network) components only, to get around the hypothetical security concerns of using Huawei in the intelligent core of the network. The US has driven this interim decision, despite not having one shred of evidence to suggest that Huawei could have or ever has abused it's security credentials. NZ GCSB doesn't have the capability to assess for security backdoors itself, but UK's GCHQ and the joint UK / Huawei code security centre in the UK does. Germany has something similar. NZ and the rest of five-eyes countries plus Germany should make their own independent assessment of the security risks (based on code analysis) and make its final decision based not on US lack of evidence but on realistic technical analysis in their sovereign interests of using the best technical solution available, which appears to be Huawei.



The world itself will be safer as a multi-polar world, based on US / China co-operation and coexistance - not any longer on a Unipolar world dominated by the US alone. The need for preservation of multilateral institutions and geopolitical stability recognizing the realities of an emergent China are paramount, over the dangerous instability of the US lead by Donald Trump, who by his leadership has caused incalculable damage to the worlds institutions amid the need for global cooperation among pressing global challenges. China has recently demonstrated responsibility in climate change and the support of multilateralism eg by supporting the WTO, and needs to be encouraged further to take on leadership in the world given the deficits in US leadership at this time. Limited acceptance of Huawei into the western world is part of this emerging reality. The security consequences can be otherwise managed.



I think the horse has well and truly bolted whereby the international community is going to have to deal with China as it is, not as we would prefer it to be. While there are many things to abhor about China's internal politics, it external policies such as it's support for the WTO and Climate change, the preservation of the IRAN nuclear agreement and other policies are to be commended. It has demonstrated a sense of responsibility in the world that IMO needs to be encouraged further compared to the highly destructive policies of the Trump administration. Yes, Trump we hope is temporary (with hopefully the Adults still in the room, but the possibility of another 4 years is intolerable to contemplate) but China is already a major economic feature in global trade, NZ & Aust ASEAN are highly dependent in that regard already. Of course - all bets are off if the South China Sea blows up or Taiwan, yet attempting to isolate China from the West is no longer possible.