Huawei to grow Canadian R&D budget, staff as security declared a ‘top priority’

Huawei Canada will be getting a piece of the US$2 billion that its global Chinese parent will spend over five years to hire more software engineers to make its equipment more secure, resilient and efficient, the company said Thursday.

A company spokesman in Ottawa said Huawei’s head office hasn’t decided how much additional money and people will be allocated to its Canadian operation, which employs about 500 people at its research and development facilities.

But Huawei Canada president Eric Li, who is attending corporate meetings in Shenzen, said in a statement that its “top priority” has been the security and integrity of the networks that it supports through its technology.

“Huawei has been supplying telecommunications equipment in Canada for a decade,” Li said.

“We have a 10-year record of success when it comes to cybersecurity. To make our equipment even more secure, Huawei is investing a further $2 billion over five years to enhance the way we design and build our products.”

Huawei will also work with an independent third-party organization to monitor and assess its progress, he said.

Huawei Canada spokesman Jake Enwright said more details will be released when they’re available.

Li’s announcement comes as Huawei Technologies Ltd. faces intense pressure as the United States and some of Canada’s other allies move to shut the China-based company out of their networks on national security grounds.

The Canadian government is also investigating the national security implications of having advanced fifth-generation wireless networks use equipment by a China-based company that’s legally subject to Beijing ’s government.