China grants 5G commercial licences despite US tech battle

China on Thursday granted 5G commercial licences to four domestic companies, as it races to be a global leader in advanced wireless networks amid fierce rivalry from the United States.5G is the next-generation cellular network that offers faster data transfer speed and could enhance technologies such as autonomous driving, remote medical diagnosis and mobile payments.But Beijing's ambitions have faced a major challenge from Washington, which has blacklisted Chinese tech giant Huawei just as it seeks to provide equipment for 5G networks in several countries. Since last year, 5G trials have been conducted in Chinese cities ahead of plans to deploy the technology across the country in 2020, and now the government has given the green light.