Putin says America's attempts to 'push Huawei out of the world market' is 'the start of a new technology WAR'
- Vladimir Putin slammed moves by the US to ban the Chinese tech giant Huawei
- He said 'push' of Huawei from global markets was the 'start of a technology war'
- US imposed bans on Huawei last month and has pressured allies to do the same
- Countries fearful of using tech firm over equipment being 'used for espionage'
Russian President Vladimir Putin has slammed attempts to 'push' Huawei from global markets as the 'start of a technology war'.
Putin made the remarks about US moves against the Chinese tech giant on Friday.
Speaking at an economic forum also attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin denounced 'unceremonious attempts at pushing Huawei from the international market.'
Huawei was hit by US-imposed bans in May. America has also been putting pressure on its Western allies to stop using the Chinese company's equipment.
The United States added Huawei Technologies, the world's biggest telecoms equipment maker, to a trade blacklist, prompting global tech giants to cut ties with the Chinese company and putting pressure on European countries to follow suit.
Washington alleges Huawei's equipment can be used by Beijing for spying, something the company has repeatedly denied.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaking at a plenary session at the 2019 St Petersburg where he denounced US attempts to 'push' Huawei from global markets
Many country's are fearful of using the Chinese firm over concerns its communications infrastructure could be used to funnel sensitive data back to its government.
The US has banned the company's equipment from its development of 5G on security grounds and is pressuring its allies – including the UK – to take a similar approach, warning the firm poses an 'unacceptable risk' to national security.
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The move by US President Donald Trump's administration comes as telecoms operators worldwide are gearing up for the arrival of the next generation of mobile technology, or 5G, which promises ultra-fast mobile internet for those able to make the heavy investment needed in networks and equipment.
Although both Huawei and the Chinese government have firmly denied these claims, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States banned Huawei from participating in government contracts in 2018.
Following the sanctions, major US tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and Intel severed ties with the Chinese company.
Vladimir Putin (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) taking part in a plenary session of SPIEF 2019 Economic Forum in St Petersburg
The ban comes as China and the US are locked in a bitter trade war, with Trump expected to impose $350 billion in new tariffs.
Speaking during a plenary session of SPIEF 2019 Economic Forum in St Petersburg today, Putin also warned against what he called unfair competition and protectionism from the West and Washington in particular.
Specifically, the Russian leader complained about US efforts to thwart Russia's North Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe as well as the Huawei controversy.
Putin said the world risked slipping into an era where 'general international rules will be exchanged for the laws of administrative and legal mechanisms by one country or group of influential countries which is how the United States is unfortunately behaving, spreading its jurisdiction over the whole world'.
The risk, he added, was that unbridled economic egoism being forcefully pushed on other countries would cause more conflict in the world.
'It's a path to endless conflicts, trade wars and maybe not just trade wars. Figuratively speaking, it's a path to battles without rules that pit everyone against everyone else', Putin added.
