China warns India of consequences if it blocks Huawei

Beijing : China has issued a warning to India saying that it must not stop Huawei from doing business in India or there could be consequences for Indian firms operating China, said a media report.

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that India is due for trials of 5G cellular network in coming months and no call has been taken yet if they will invite the Chinese telecom's equipment maker to take part.

Huawei, the world’s biggest maker of such gear, is at the centre of a geopolitical tug-of-war between China and the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration put the company on a blacklist in May, citing national security concerns.

A news report by Reuters claimed that two sources close to the matter have confirmed that India’s ambassador in Beijing, Vikram Misri, was called to the Chinese foreign ministry on July 10 to hear China’s concerns about the U.S. campaign to keep Huawei out of 5G mobile infrastructure worldwide.

In the meeting, Chinese officials warned him of “reverse sanctions” on Indian firms engaged in business in China if India blocks Huawei under Washington pressure.

The Indian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. China’s foreign ministry also did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the matter.