Huawei Technologies Co knows it\u2019s not an easy time to engage with the company. But those who do will be rewarded, said global vice president of marketing insights Andrew Williamson in an interview in Mexico City.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuawei will invest heavily in those countries where we are welcome,\u201d he said, adding that rolling out 5G technology around the world will be that much more challenging if the US goes ahead with its sanctions.<\/p>\n
\u201cRestricting competition in 5G infrastructure will have huge costs. Governments and companies around the world will have to address those costs against the supposed risks of national security,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Last month, the Trump administration issued an order that could restrict Huawei from selling equipment in the U.S. Washington also put the company on a blacklist, threatening its supply of American components from semiconductors to the Google apps that run on its smartphones.<\/p>\n
Williamson said it\u2019s still too early to tell if all the noise around the company lately has had an impact in Mexican customers, but the company\u2019s second-quarter report should shed some light on the situation.<\/p>\n
In Europe, Huawei\u2019s smartphone business appears to be losing ground. Consumer fear that Huawei phones will quickly become out of date has meant demand for its devices has \u201cdropped off a cliff,\u201d Ben Stanton, a UK-based analyst at Canalys said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe there\u2019s a need for global cyber security standards to be set,\u201d Williamson said, adding it\u2019s willing to work closely with governments to address their national security concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to go back to the facts, go back to evidence-based policy making.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Mexico, Huawei is providing the technology for the country\u2019s wholesale wireless network, Red Compartida. It\u2019s also working with every major carrier, including AT&T Inc. and America Movil SAB, he said.<\/p>\n
The US is sticking with its decision to bar Huawei from next-generation telecommunications networks in America even though President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of including the company in a future trade deal with China, a State Department official said Thursday in Brussels.<\/p>\n
The US Justice Department has also indicted Huawei for theft of trade secrets and is pursuing a criminal case against the company\u2019s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, alleging that she conspired to defraud banks into unwittingly clearing transactions linked to Iran in violation of US sanctions.<\/p>\n