Blocking Huawei from the nation's 5G network may not mitigate the risks to Australia from the company’s telecommunication gear being used elsewhere, according a leading Japanese defence strategist.

Simply stopping Huawei from building 5G networks in a handful of allied countries will not necessarily ensure information security for democracies in the future, said Dr Michito Tsuruoka on a visit to Melbourne.

Dr Michito Tsuruoka

“If only the US, Australia and Japan exclude Huawei, then how can we, even in our countries, ensure the safety and security of information and technologies?” asked the Keio University professor. “Because we always interact with other countries which use Huawei.”

The tactic of pressuring other countries to block the controversial company also raised questions about the strategy in managing technological competition with China, he said.