Government defends decision to ban Huawei from 5G network

The Australian Government has defended its decision to ban Huawei from getting access to the country’s 5G network.

China has complained to the World Trade Organisation over the ban, claiming it’s discriminative.

But Minister for Trade Simon Birmingham says the decision was made in the interest of Australian security.

“No network operator should be able to engage in the network if they are potentially subject to the directions of a foreign government.

“We are confident that the national security exemptions that exist in World Trade Organisation rules mean that the position we’ve taken is compliant.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview. Skip to 8 mins 20 seconds to hear his comments on China’s complaint