torsdag 12. desember 2019

Banned recording reveals China ambassador threatened Faroese leader at secret meeting

China's ambassador to Denmark threatened the Faroese prime minister by indicating that a trade agreement would be dropped if the autonomous Danish archipelago does not sign a 5G contract with technology giant Huawei, Berlingske can now reveal.China's ambassador to Denmark, Mr. Feng Tie, made overt threats to prominent members of the Faroese government in order to secure a strategically important contract for the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, by indicating that the Chinese government would drop a free trade agreement with the Faroe Islands if the company did not get the contract.

This appears from an audio recording which was subsequently banned from publication, Berlingske can now reveal. The recording marks the first instance where the Chinese government has linked access to China's huge market to Huawei being awarded contracts for 5G networks in Europe. Huawei has publicly stated that it is a private company with no ties to the Chinese state.