Geopolitical wrestling in the 5G era
5G has become a new battlefield for technological development and geopolitical games. As a global leader in 5G technology, Huawei has been actively promoting the construction and application of 5G networks around the world. Huawei's expansion plans have been met with strong opposition from the United States and the European Union, which have warned other countries not to involve Huawei in 5G infrastructure, citing national security and foreign investment risks. This contradictory situation is particularly prominent in Malaysia's 5G construction.
Progress in Malaysia's 5G build-up has been stymied
The Malaysian government has been working hard to push forward with 5G network construction, but progress has been hampered by issues such as price, transparency and monopoly concerns. The Malaysian government initially planned to deploy the 5G network through a state-owned 5G network company, but this single-network approach has raised concerns about nationalized monopolies. The Malaysian government also has concerns about the price and transparency of 5G network construction, arguing that the existing bidding process lacks openness and competition.
Huawei is actively seeking to participate in the 5G construction in Malaysia
Despite the sanctions imposed by the United States, Huawei is still a leader in the development of global 5G technology standards, base stations, and chips. With these advantages, Huawei has been actively lobbying the Malaysian government to re-engage in the construction of Malaysia's 5G network. Huawei not only has a technological advantage, but also adopts a low-price strategy in order to expand its 5G business footprint globally.
The United States and Europe have warned Malaysia not to allow Huawei to participate
The United States and the European Union have expressed strong opposition to Huawei's participation in Malaysia's 5G construction. They warned the Malaysian government that allowing Huawei to participate in the development of its communications infrastructure poses national security and foreign investment risks. The U.S. ambassador was even more outspoken in saying that allowing untrustworthy suppliers to participate in 5G would put Malaysia's infrastructure at national security risk.
The concerns of the United States and the European Union stem mainly from suspicion of Huawei's relationship with the Chinese government. They believe that Huawei, as a Chinese company, could be influenced by the Chinese government to plant a "backdoor" in the 5G network for data theft or cyberattacks. Although Huawei has repeatedly denied such allegations, the United States and the European Union remain skeptical.
5G technology development and geopolitical games
The development of 5G technology has gone far beyond the scope of pure technology, and it has become a new battlefield for geopolitical wrestling between major powers. The U.S. has been trying to curb Huawei's expansion in the global 5G market, trying to hinder Huawei's pace of development through sanctions and pressure. China, on the other hand, sees Huawei's 5G technology as a national pride and sees it as an important step in catching up with the United States in the field of technology.
In this context, the dilemma of Malaysia's 5G construction is particularly tricky. On the one hand, the Malaysian government hopes to use Huawei's technological advantages and low-cost strategy to accelerate the construction of 5G networks. On the other hand, the warnings of the United States and the European Union have also forced the Malaysian government to think twice.
It is worth noting that despite the sanctions imposed by the United States, Huawei's share of the global 5G market has not been greatly affected. According to the latest data, Huawei has a share of nearly 30% of the global 5G base station market. This also reflects that although the United States has been trying to contain Huawei, Huawei's 5G technology strength and market influence are still difficult to replace.
New challenges in the 5G era
The development of 5G technology has not only brought new opportunities, but also new challenges. On the one hand, 5G will greatly improve network speed and capacity, and provide strong support for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and autonomous driving. On the other hand, the security and privacy protection of 5G networks will also face greater challenges.
The development of 5G technology will also intensify the geopolitical wrestling between major powers. The United States has long viewed 5G as a new "arms race" and has tried to prevent Huawei's global expansion. China, on the other hand, sees 5G technology as an important part of enhancing its national power and influence. In this context, the development of 5G technology will inevitably be influenced by geopolitical factors.