Germany seeking ban on Chinese components for expanding 5G coverage

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Germany is planning to ban components produced by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, used to expand wireless coverage in the 5G mobile standard, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The mobile carriers Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, and Telefonica, which have previously utilized components from these Chinese companies when expanding their 5G networks, may be impacted by the prohibition on the use of Chinese technology in vital infrastructure, the report said. It further stated that the government has no intention of footing the bill for re-equipment.

According to Handelsblatt, Berlin's choice will have an impact on relations with China as well as the intentions of German carriers to advance the 5G mobile standard.

Since Berlin is concerned that the Chinese government could access vital infrastructure in Germany, the issue of Chinese enterprises' involvement in the expansion of 5G networks in that country has generated controversy for a number of years.

This comes after Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom took various measures to stop government departments from installing Chinese-made cameras at sensitive sites citing security concerns.

Both Washington and London have been claiming that they were afraid that Chinese firms would be forced into sharing information obtained via their cameras with the Chinese government.

UK Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden told members of parliament in late November that the UK government departments had been instructed not to install Chinese-manufactured surveillance cameras in "sensitive" government locations, British newspaper The Independent reported.

Days earlier, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claimed that China was a systemic threat to UK values and the "most state-based threat to our economic security," adding that Britain will consider supplying weaponry to Taiwan.

Moreover, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned a day later equipment authorizations for video surveillance equipment or telecoms manufactured by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, calling them "a threat to national security."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded to the Australian decree, saying: "We hope Australia will provide a fair, just, and nondiscriminatory environment for the normal operations of Chinese enterprises."

"We oppose any wrong action of stretching the concept of national security and misusing national might to discriminate against and suppress Chinese enterprises," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.