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Wellington also rejected allegations that its secret services have been pressured by members of the so-called "Five Eyes" alliance – which also includes Australian, British, American and Canadian intelligence services – to ban Huawei because fears about the ties between the group and the Chinese government.
"It's not about the country, not even about the company, it's about the technology that's on offer," New Zealand Justice Minister Andrew Little, who oversees, told national radio also the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB).
"No advice has been transmitted to the GCSB by Australia, the United States or others, as to the decisions it must make."
New Zealand's largest telecommunications operator, Spark, said on Wednesday that New Zealand security services had banned it from using Huawei's equipment to expand its 5G network by citing "significant national security risks."
The announcement came after news reports from the US daily Wall Street Journal on Washington's launch of a campaign to deter Allied companies from using Huawei's 5G equipment for fear of giving Beijing access to sensitive information.
In Beijing, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Geng Shuang, expressed Wednesday a "deep concern" after the ban.
"The Chinese government encourages Chinese companies to follow the principles of the international market and regulations and to develop economic partnerships abroad that respect local laws," the spokesman said, noting that "economic and trade partnerships between China and New Zealand bring mutual benefits. "
In August, Australia had previously announced that Huawei and ZTE, another Chinese telecom giant, would be excluded from the deployment of the 5G network on its soil, with Canberra saying that foreign-related companies pose a security risk.
China is New Zealand's largest trading partner.
5G networks will increase mobile and ultra-fast internet access and connect countless everyday objects.
Huawei, whose founder Ren Zhengfei is a former Chinese army engineer, has always ensured his independence and said he has never used his equipment to spy on or sabotage communications in the countries where they are deployed.
Mr. Little refused to detail the "risks" mentioned by Spark, saying only that there was a "risk associated with the use of technology", the details of which are secret.
"We know that telecommunication networks, like other infrastructures, are vulnerable to incursions, cyberattacks and the like all over the world," he said.
"So we have to make sure everything is done to protect our country from these risks."
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