Germany to ban some Huawei, ZTE 5G components
Germany says certain components from Chinese tech companies Huawei and ZTE in its 5G networks, may be banned due to security concerns.
The interior ministry on Tuesday said the German government was carrying out a general review of tech suppliers, stating that the move was not targeted at specific manufacturers.
Reuters reports that German government in the midst of a broader re-evaluation of its relationship with top trade partner China, has been wary of expressly singling out Huawei, even while pursuing legislation enabling it to crack down on the firm.
This it said will take many years to unwind.
Critics of Huawei and ZTE have alleged that their close links to Beijing’s security services mean that embedding them in the ubiquitous mobile networks of the future could give Chinese spies and even saboteurs access to essential infrastructure.
Huawei, ZTE and China’s government have since denied these claims.
A ZTE spokesperson said no evidence had been produced to suggest its products were insecure, but it welcomed external scrutiny.
Writing By Marian Benjamin; Editing by Annabel Nwachukwu
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