Germany, France and The Netherlands declare that they won’t follow the USA in blocking Huawei
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Germany, France and the Netherlands have said they will not block Huawei from participating in the expansion of national 5G networks. The US fears that China could use Huawei equipment for spying.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said companies could participate in expanding Germany’s 5G network if they met established safety criteria.
“For us, the security criteria are the decisive starting point in terms of deciding who will participate in the expansion,” Merkel said, adding that the criteria are not directed against individual countries or companies.
Speaking alongside Merkel in Berlin, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands would not exclude companies in advance of any auction for 5G networks.
In the first public comments by a European leader since Wednesday’s move by Trump, Macron told Bloomberg Television he doesn’t intend to capitulate to U.S. pressure to block Huawei’s 5G equipment. France, Germany and the U.K. are among the key allies balking at American demands to shut Huawei out completely from 5G network construction — or risk retribution
“Our perspective is not to block Huawei or any company,” Macron said at a technology conference in Paris. “France and Europe are pragmatic and realistic. We do believe in cooperation and multilateralism. At the same time, we are extremely careful about access to good technology and to preserve our national security and all the safety rules.
Macron’s remarks reflect the mood across the region. While Germany plans to tighten the rules governing the security of its telecom networks, Chancellor Angela Merkel has made it clear she won’t single out any one supplier. The U.K., which has yet to announce a decision, is considering excluding Huawei equipment from the network’s core, which houses control functions, while allowing it to supply antennas and other parts for less-sensitive functions, people familiar with the matter said last month.
