Quoting its “sources privy to internal discussions in New Delhi”, the news agency Reuters reported that the warning shots of “reverse sanctions”, should India ban Huawei from its 5G business under pressure from the US, were fired when the Indian Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry.
India will start trialling 5G in the coming months but has not selected the vendors yet.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, the telecom minister, told the parliament earlier that Huawei was one of the vendors that have submitted proposals, though he did not name the others.
“On the issue of Chinese enterprises participating in the construction of India’s 5G, we hope the Indian side makes an independent and objective decision, and provides a fair, just and non-discriminatory commercial environment for Chinese enterprises’ investment and operations, to realize mutual benefit,” said the spokesperson of China’s foreign ministry in a statement sent to Reuters.
“Huawei has carried out operations in India for a long time and has made contributions to the development of Indian society and the economy that is clear to all.”
Like all obscure diplomatic parlance, the statement said less than what is left unsaid.