DAKAR, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister StephenHarper said on Friday that Canada wants a growing relationshipwith China, but that investments must be scrutinized from anational security perspective.
Ottawa has indicated strongly that it would exclude Chinesetelecom equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co Lrd fromhelping to build a secure Canadian government communicationsnetwork because of possible security risks.
"We will ensure as a government that we have not only agrowing relationship with China but a relationship with Chinathat is in Canada's best interests," Harper said on a visit toDakar, Senegal. "And of course (...) there's a national securitydimension to this relationship, in fact to all our activities,that we take very seriously."
(Reporting by Joe Penney; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editingby David Lewis)
((richard.valdmanis@thomsonreuters.com)(+221 33 864 5076))
Keywords: CANADA HARPER/CHINA