Thread by @MLInstitute

Should Canada ban #Huawei from 5G? @brianleecrowley makes the case that “both Huawei’s behaviour and that of its Chinese Communist Party overlords is such that Canada should follow the US, Australia and New Zealand and forbid Huawei’s involvement in 5G.” macdonaldlaurier.ca/canada-ban-hua…

This debate over #Huawei’s involvement in 5G was recently highlighted as part of the @TorontoStar’s ‘The Big Debate’ series. Writing for the other side of the debate was @Stockwell_Day. #cdnpoli #cdnnatsec #cdnfp #cdnecon thestar.com/opinion/contri…

This has attracted the attention of Huawei employees, who are encouraging others (including potentially thousands of fellow employees) on China’s preferred social media platform, WeChat, to vote for the ‘no’ side of the debate. #cdnpoli #cdnfp @binghuiyin

https://twitter.com/binghuiyin/status/1164095200441978881

Indeed, in the course of just a few hours (and thousands of new votes), the poll flipped; as recently as yesterday afternoon, some 70% of respondents had voted in favour of blocking Huawei, and now some 70% have voted in favour of the other side.

While there is nothing overtly nefarious with targeting a non-scientific poll, this does raise the issue of pro-Beijing “Netizens,” their connection to #Huawei, and their potential capacity to sway or influence public policy debates in Canada. #cdnpoli macdonaldlaurier.ca/canadas-octobe…

With an election fast-approaching, policy-makers must do more to combat foreign interference campaigns from a variety of sources, including Beijing. @kolga #cdnpoli #cdnfp #cdnnatsec macdonaldlaurier.ca/defending-agai…

Huawei’s apparent involvement in encouraging these Netizens is telling. One of @brianleecrowley’s arguments in his article has to do with the company’s unusually opaque ownership structure and intimate relationship with Beijing. #cdnpoli #cdnfp #cdnnatsec macdonaldlaurier.ca/infographic-fi…

After all, Michael Korvig and Michael Spavor were in effect kidnapped by the Chinese Communist Party following the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. This suggests a deep relationship between Huawei and Beijing which should concern Canadians. @CrisisGroup

But why the acute concern with Huawei vis-à -vis 5G? MLI Munk Senior Fellow Christian Leuprecht explains that the very nature of the way in which the internet works means that there are unique cybersecurity risks associated with 5G. #cdnpoli #cdnfp macdonaldlaurier.ca/mli-explains-c…

While security concerns about Huawei are paramount, there are in fact more reasons to be wary of getting it wrong on 5G. Leuprecht makes the case that it could actually impact Canadian sovereignty. #cdnpoli #cdnfp #cdnnatsec macdonaldlaurier.ca/getting-wrong-…

Ultimately, while we’re flattered that @Huawei has taken notice of us and our work, we find it troubling (though hardly surprising) that a company with such close ties to a foreign power is trying to sway an otherwise open debate in Canada.

We at MLI are dedicated to educating Canadians about the nature of Huawei and the risks that its involvement in 5G would pose. Read more about some #HuaweiFacts on our website: macdonaldlaurier.ca/tag/huawei/ #cdnpoli #cdnnatsec