Berlin To Discuss Huawei's Presence In German Telecommunications With EU, US - Merkel

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published March 12, 2019 | 10:11 PM

The participation of Chinese telecommunications equipment producer Huawei in the development of the German telecommunications sector will be discussed with EU and US partners, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2019) The participation of Chinese telecommunications equipment producer Huawei in the development of the German telecommunications sector will be discussed with EU and US partners, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday.

"For the Federal government, the security of nascent 5G mobile network infrastructure, and, in general, of the digital sector, is very important, so we define our own standards for ourselves. And we will, of course, discuss this issue with our partners in Europe and with relevant US departments, that goes without saying," Merkel told reporters when asked about Huawei's involvement in developing German telecommunications infrastructure.

On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US ambassador in Berlin, Richard Grenell, had warned German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier in a letter that the US administration would limit intelligence data sharing with the German government if Huawei was allowed to participate in the development of German telecommunications infrastructure.

He noted that Washington would continue to share intelligence information with Berlin even if Huawei remained in the German market, but would reduce the volume and transparency of this exchange.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a press briefing on Tuesday that the United States should admit that other countries had the right make their own strategic decisions on their country's development, particularly in the area of technology.

Huawei has recently faced allegations that it had been linked to the Chinese government and even involved in espionage on its behalf, something that the company has vehemently denied.

In mid-August, US President Donald Trump enacted legislation banning government agencies from using services from Huawei and ZTE, another Chinese company, amid the ongoing scandal.