Canada and France this week denied that donations of masks from Huawei would influence their decisions on whether the Chinese firm plays a role in their 5G rollouts.
The Chinese technology giant, which has been caught in the crossfire of a larger U.S.-China trade and technology battle, has quietly given masks to a number of countries around the world. Huawei has been accused by at least one U.S. congressman of using the donations to win favor when it comes to participating in 5G.
Huawei is in the process of giving 6 million masks to Canada, along with other personal protective equipment, Toronto's
Globe and Mail reported this week.
Huawei declined to comment when contacted by CNBC.
The company is seeking federal approval to be a part of Canada's 5G rollout. Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau said the mask
donations would not influence the country's decision on 5G.
"We are not expecting these donations to have any impact on our decisions. In fact, they will not affect our decisions on any issues," Trudeau said in French, according to Canadian publication Global News.
