Senior German officials are planning a last-ditch drive to convince the government to consider excluding Chinese firms such as Huawei Technologies Co (華為) from building the nation’s 5G infrastructure amid concerns that this could compromise national security.
The behind-the-scenes push in Berlin, which comes after decisions by Australia and the US to ban Chinese suppliers from 5G, has emerged at a late stage, with Germany expected to start its 5G auctions early next year.
Because of this momentum, officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was unclear whether the initiative would succeed.
However, the push highlights the extent of the concern in some Berlin ministries about a Chinese role in building Germany’s next-generation mobile network, despite the lack of a vigorous public debate about the security dimensions of 5G.
“There is serious concern. If it were up to me, we would do what the Australians are doing,” said one senior German official, who is involved in the internal 5G debate in Berlin.
Leading the charge are officials in the German Foreign Office and Federal Ministry of the Interior, who have held talks with their US and Australian counterparts, and share their concerns about the risks of using Chinese suppliers such as Huawei, the world’s largest telecom equipment manufacturer.
They are pressing for a more serious discussion on 5G before the auctions begin, the senior official said, although some officials suggested that this could lead to a delay.
Opposition parties are also pushing back. Last week, the Greens submitted a motion in the German Bundestag that questioned the government’s stance, saying that it has no legal basis for excluding certain suppliers from its 5G rollout.
“Excluding all investors from a certain country is the wrong approach, but we need to be able to vet individual cases to ensure that our critical infrastructure is protected,” said Greens lawmaker Katharina Droege, who coauthored the motion. “That could lead to the exclusion of Chinese firms from building our 5G infrastructure.”
So far, the public debate in Germany over 5G has centered on how extensive the network would be rather than questions about security.
Current coverage is patchy and that, combined with delays in building out high-speed Internet, has been criticized by business groups as a handicap in the digital era.
The security concerns center around China’s National Intelligence Law, approved last year, which states that Chinese “organizations and citizens shall, in accordance with the law, support, cooperate with and collaborate in national intelligence work.”
This has sparked fears that Huawei could be asked by the Chinese government to incorporate “backdoors” into their equipment that would allow Beijing access, for spying or sabotage purposes.
A Huawei spokesman said the company rejected any suggestion that it might pose a threat to a nation’s national security.
“Cybersecurity has always been our top priority, and we have a proven track record of providing secure products and solutions for our customers in Germany and around the world,” the spokesman said.
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