Huawei 5G: Merkel reiterates that German 5G construction does not exclude specific suppliers

Chinese manufacturing giant, Huawei, has been at loggerheads with the US on multiple issues. The US has always told its allies to desist from Huawei’s 5G. It believes that Huawei 5G is not safe and has backdoors. However, some countries including Germany are not very keen to ban Huawei. Some weeks ago, the German government said that its 5G construction will not exclude specific suppliers. This means that Huawei is free to participate.

Subsequently, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Network and Communications Policy, Rob Strayer, said that if Germany allows Huawei to participate in its 5G network construction, the US will reassess its intelligence sharing with Germany. A few days later, German intelligence agency (BND) expressed concerns over Huawei 5G. It even accuses Huawei of having direct contact with the Chinese government. In addition, BND claim that the company may have a state ownership status. This again threatened Huawei's hopes of participating in Germany's 5G construction.

Nevertheless, the latest report from German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, reiterates that Germany's 5G construction will not exclude specific suppliers. According to her, "the security requirements and verifiability of companies involved in 5G network construction are highly valued, but standards are not set separately for a particular vendor".

Huawei has been part of Germany network construction - Merkel

Merkel also said that Huawei, as an equipment supplier, has participated in the construction of 2G and 3G networks in Germany. In October this year, at the urging of the Prime Minister’s Office, Berlin lifted the ban on Chinese 5G technology. Until then, representatives of the German federal government have debated this matter for several months.

German media on Huawei 5G

According to German media Handelsblatt, the Merkel government has decided that Chinese network provider Huawei can provide 5G network equipment for Germany, because "blocking Huawei into the German 5G network" does not appear in the Federal Network Administration's latest customized security standards. What do you think about Germany's decision?

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