Ramaphosa Backs China in US-Huawei Dispute

President Cyril Ramaphosa is backing China in its trade dispute with the United States, after South Africa’s so-called big four telecommunications companies – Cell C, MTN, Telkom, and Vodacom – asked for his help to support Huawei.

In May, US President Donald Trump signed an order which restricted Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE from selling their equipment in the US.

The US Department of Commerce also put Huawei on a blacklist which forbids the Chinese tech firm from doing business with American companies.

The Trump Administration claims Huawei represents a security threat and helps Beijing in espionage – charges the company consistently denies.

Huawei has repeatedly denounced the pressure and accusations of spying as a desperate attempt by Washington to preserve its waning dominance over global telecommunications lines.

The ban has significant implications for Huawei, which could include losing support from chip manufacturers and future access to Android updates.

Pretoria Enters The