The Chinese embassy in Germany voiced dissent over Berlin’s decision to exclude Chinese telecoms components from its 5G networks, according to Chinese media.
In its statement, the Chinese embassy said Germany’s accusations were groundless as Chinese companies have long been operating in the country in accordance with laws and regulations, making a positive contribution to Germany’s digitalisation process.
Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior announced its intention to phase out Chinese telecoms components from its 5G networks, explaining the decision as security risks.
The Chinese embassy, for its part, flagged the security risks as a mere pretext used by some countries to maintain technological hegemony, because it highlighted no evidence of Chinese companies (Huawei and ZTE) posing a danger to any country.
Berlin’s actions, according to the statement, will seriously undermine mutual trust and affect future China-EU co-operation in relevant fields, as Beijing has always maintained an open attitude towards European companies such as Nokia and Ericsson in its own 5G construction.
The German side should not demand fair competition, but also should not impose discriminatory policies on companies from the other country based on baseless accusations, the statement said. China, for its part, will take necessary measures to protect the legitimate interests of Chinese companies.
