China blasts Germany over reported plan to ban Huawei, ZTE
Chinese embassy says to oppose ‘abuse of state power’ after report Berlin will ban Chinese companies from 5G network.
China is “deeply dissatisfied” with Germany’s reported plans to ban Huawei and ZTE from the country’s 5G network, the Chinese embassy said.
“If the report is true, China is very surprised and very dissatisfied that the relevant German government departments made the above decision without any factual basis,” the embassy in Berlin said in a statement on Wednesday.
“China firmly opposes Germany’s generalization of the concept of national security and abuse of state power to intervene in the market cooperation with China, which violates not only economic laws and the principle of fair competition, but also others harms rather than benefits itself. ‘ said the statement.
The embassy’s comments come after German newspaper Zeit Online reported that Berlin is preparing to ban telecom companies from using certain components of Chinese tech giants Huawei and ZTE, following similar bans by Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Germany’s cybersecurity agency and interior ministry made the decision after spending months investigating the country’s 5G networks for potential security risks, Zeit Online reported.
Western security officials have claimed that Huawei and ZTE pose threats to national security and privacy due to their close ties to Beijing, making them unsuitable for involvement in next-generation communications networks.
Huawei and ZTE have denied posing a security risk.
Germany passed legislation in 2021 to strengthen security standards for its next-generation networks, but avoided an outright ban on Chinese companies similar to those of other Western countries.
Despite increasing efforts to isolate Chinese technology, Germany has become more dependent on Huawei for its 5G network, with the company providing nearly 60 percent of base stations and related infrastructure, according to a study last year by telecommunications consultancy Strand Consult.
In its statement, the Chinese embassy said Germany’s reported plan to ban Huawei and ZTE would delay the rollout of the country’s 5G services.
“The German government must listen carefully to the rational voice in its country,” the embassy said.