Huawei and ZTE are showing a certain resilience in the face of rising uncertainty about their ability to compete globally in the 5G market. They have various cards to play, including their famous price competitiveness, backed by access to significant Chinese government financing, and their advanced developments in some core 5G technologies, such as Massive MIMO and cloud core. This is highlighted in their very strong patent position in 5G, compared to their status in 3G or 4G, when they were best known for keen pricing rather than cutting edge innovation. While operators fret about being denied access to advanced technologies at affordable prices, the wider industry is concerned about the risk that, if US and other western nations persist…