Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm has continued to press the Swedish government to reconsider the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority’s (PTS) ban on Huawei equipment.
Ekholm has publicly opposed the ban since it was announced in October of last year. He has reportedly sent several text messages to Foreign Trade Minister Anna Hallberg urging a review of the PTS decision, according to reporting by Dagens Nyheter.
Minister Hallberg has stated she has not intervened with the PTS and would not influence independent authority decisions. The PTS defended its ban by citing concerns about the Chinese one-party state’s influence on private companies, saying that such influence creates strong incentives for companies to align with state goals and national strategies.
At first glance, it may seem surprising that Ericsson’s CEO would speak up for a key rival, given that Ericsson has benefited from bans and uncertainty surrounding Huawei equipment. However, the decision has prompted warnings of Chinese retaliation that could directly affect Ericsson. The company derives about 10 percent of its sales from China and is Huawei’s main competitor in the country’s cellular radio market.
Ekholm’s persistent lobbying—both privately and in public—appears aimed at mitigating damage to Ericsson’s business in China, even as Sweden’s police and military agencies have raised security concerns that informed the PTS decision.
Security officials and analysts have long expressed worry about close ties between Chinese companies and the state. As the former head of Britain’s MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove, noted last year, Huawei is viewed by some as closely connected to the Chinese state and emblematic of a broader fusion of civilian and military capabilities in Chinese strategy.
Sweden has set a deadline of January 2025 for the removal of Huawei and ZTE equipment from existing infrastructure. In November, Huawei initiated legal action challenging the ban.
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