The embattled Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. has signed a deal with leading Russian telecom giant, MTS to develop 5G technology in Russia.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Chinese President – Xi Jinping’s 3-day visit to Russia where we addressed the President of Russia – Vladimir Putin as his close friend. The visit also holds significance as U.S. – China relations have hit another low over the ongoing trade war.
Addressing the Press, Xi Jinping said, “In the past six years, we have met nearly 30 times. Russia is the country that I have visited the most times, and President Putin is my best friend and colleague.”
Speaking on the occasion, Vladimir Putin said, “Pleased to say that Russian-Chinese relations have reached an unprecedented level. It is a global partnership and strategic cooperation.”
The deal comes at a time when United States and with it’s allies have blocked Huawei in their country. The U.S. believes that Huawei is leaking private and confidential data to Chinese Government which poses a threat to national security of the U.S. and other nations using Huawei equipment and services. However, Huawei has rejected all the claims and has said that the company is independent from the Government and has never compromised on security and privacy terms.
Huawei’s tussle with the U.S.
Besides, The Chief Financial Officer of Huawei – Meng Wanzhou (also the daughter of Huawei’s founder, Ren Zhengfei) was arrested in Vancouver by Canadian Authorities on December 1, 2018. She has been accused of bank fraud with regards to sanctions against Iran. Meng was later released on bail with restrictions on freedom of movement. She is presently undergoing court trial with regards to extradition request placed by U.S.
She has filed a lawsuit in the British Columbia’s Supreme Court in Canada accusing Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Federal Government of unlawfully detaining her and interrogating her for 3 hours without even advising her of Constitutional Rights. Besides, her electronic gadgets, including an iPad and luggage were illegally searched without even informing her that she
was under arrest.
Deals and gesture of friendship
Xi Jinping and Putin have promised to deepen the military and economic cooperation in the future. Also, as a gesture of friendship, Xi Jinping unveiled 2 panda bears at the Moscow Zoo which were brought to Russia in April 2019. These panda bears will remain a long-lasting reminder of the visit.
China – Russia economic ties
China is the leading trade partner of Russia. On the other hand, Russia is China’s 10th largest trading partner. The major chunk of Russian export to China includes including energy-related products. Most of the Chinese exports to Russia includes equipments, machineries and consumer goods. In addition, the Power of Siberia pipeline connecting Russia to China, valued at U.S. $ 400 billion, is expected is likely to be completed this year.
