Vietnam Telecoms Partner With Chinese Firms for 5G Infrastructure
Vietnam's state-owned telecom operators are contracting Chinese technology firms for 5G equipment despite security warnings from the United States.
The police-owned telecom operator MobiFone is negotiating contracts with Chinese technology firms to build 5G base stations. This follows similar supply deals signed last year by market leaders Viettel and VNPT with Huawei and ZTE, signaling a shift away from Vietnam's 2020 commitment to the U.S. Clean Network initiative.
Vietnamese officials defended the move by citing the reliability and lower cost of Chinese equipment. The negotiations precede a planned visit to China by Vietnamese leader To Lam. A Huawei 5G base station has already been observed on a MobiFone tower in Ho Chi Minh City near the U.S. Consulate General.
The United States Department of State warned that using non-trusted network providers could jeopardize American investment in Vietnam. The agency cited national security risks, arguing that Chinese intelligence and security services can legally compel domestic companies to share sensitive data or grant unauthorized access to customer systems.
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