Govt has no plans to bar Chinese vendors from 5G contracts, claims minister

The Indian government currently has no formal proposals to exclude Chinese vendors from 5G contracts, although the interior ministry will make a final decision on the matter after looking into potential national security concerns, Minister of State for Communications Sanjay Dhotre told parliament this week, the Economic Times reports. Responding to questions in parliament, the minister clarified that the government also has no plans to issue a blanket ban on Chinese applications, following the ban of 224 apps so far this year. The Indian government’s stance towards Chinese vendors and tech firms hardened following skirmishes along the Sino-Indian border in May this year. The escalating tensions led Delhi to cancel and restart a major 4G tender for state-owned providers, effectively barring Chinese vendors from participating, although the government has not yet put such restrictions into writing.