Today, we talk about how Bolsonaro has tackled — in just one day — China and U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. The coronavirus vaccine debacle continues. And what you need to know about the upcoming election.
Brazil hints at Huawei ban with support for U.S. Clear Network proposal
The Jair Bolsonaro administration showed on Tuesday that the possibility of banning Chinese firm Huawei from next year’s 5G network auction is very much on the table. While hosting the U.S. Under Secretary of State for economic growth, Keith Krach, Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that the country supports the U.S. Clean Network proposal to build a global digital alliance to “free the world from authoritarian malignant actors.”
- The Clean Network proposal is a blatantly anti-China program put forward by the Trump White House. The U.S. Department of State describes its goals as safeguarding networks “from aggressive intrusions by malignant actors, such as the Chinese Communist Party.”
Why it matters. Huawei already has a massive presence in the country’s telecom infrastructure, and sector representatives believe that a ban could set Brazil’s 5G implementation back by several years.
- Additionally, it could sour relations with China. Key sectors of the Brazilian economy — such...