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Germany is looking for ways to stop the use of Huawei products in the construction of its 5G network, making it the last Western country to repress the company in the face of growing security concerns.
The German government plans to introduce security requirements for 5G, the next generation of mobile communications, which it would be more difficult for Huawei to respect. The initiative was reported for the first time by the German daily Handelsblatt.
A statement from the Ministry of Economy said that the security of the future 5G network and product security offered by different telecom providers were "very important" for the German government and that it would be "guided" by such concerns when building the network. .
But he also stressed that no decision had yet been taken on concrete measures.
The German decision came at a time when the United States was pressuring countries to ban Huawei from developing 5G mobile phone networks for reasons of national security, saying its technology could be used by the Chinese government for espionage or cyberattacks.
The new difficult position is a change from the previous vision of the company in Berlin. In October, Deputy Interior Minister Günter Krings wrote to Green MEP Katharina Dröge that there was "no concrete legal basis" for excluding a supplier of equipment. particular of the construction of the 5G in Germany "and no project is planned".
He stated that the German Telecommunications Act contained "sufficient" provisions. . . to respond to any security issues. "
But as the deadline for the construction of 5G in Germany approaches, the government's position has hardened. 5G spectrum licenses are to be auctioned this spring, and telecom companies need accurate information about which suppliers they can work with.
Last month, Deutsche Telekom announced that it would re-evaluate its network equipment purchasing system. A spokesperson told Handelsblatt that the company "takes the global debate on the security of network elements made by Chinese producers very seriously."
Opposition deputies welcomed the fact that the German government is finally taking Huawei's security concerns seriously.
"For too long, the government has underestimated the explosive nature of this problem," Katharina Dröge said. She called on the ministers "to finally say publicly what they think of Huawei's participation in the construction of the 5G".
The EU is also more and more concerned about Huawei. Andrus Ansip, top Brussels technology policy officer, recently warned that Beijing's intelligence services could order Chinese groups to incorporate "back doors" into their systems.
Australia and New Zealand, members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network with Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, have already prevented Huawei from forming partnerships with local telecom operators.
The United Kingdom and Japan have also publicly distanced themselves from Huawei's plans to provide 5G telecommunications, a breakthrough technology that will allow objects such as refrigerators, cars and smartphones to "talk to each other". to others.
This week, Huawei's president and founder Ren Zhengfei broke the silence over the charges against the company, claiming that the company "never received a request from any government for disclosure of information. inappropriate ".
The 74-year-old former Chinese army engineer also denied that China's new national security law forces Huawei to open the doors of its telecommunication equipment to collect electronic information.
Huawei is also in crisis following the arrest of Ren Zhengfei's financial director and daughter Meng Wanzhou, who was accused of violating US sanctions on Iran as she tried to change planes in Canada.
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