() – Germany will gradually remove components made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE from its 5G wireless network over the next five years, a move that risks worsening its already strained relationships with the second largest economy in the world.
Mobile network operators such as Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica have agreed to retire the components of their 5G “core networks” – which are connected to the internet and function as control centers – by the end of 2026.
By the end of 2029, these components must also be removed from “access and transport networks,” which include the physical parts of the 5G network such as transmission lines and towers.
“In this way, we are protecting the central nervous systems of Germany as a place of business, and we are protecting the communication of citizens, companies and the state,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement Thursday. “We must reduce security risks and, unlike in the past, avoid unilateral dependencies.”
In the same statement, the German Government stressed the importance of “secure and resilient telecommunications infrastructures”, given the “dangers of sabotage and espionage”.
“To avoid vulnerabilities and critical dependencies, you must therefore rely on trusted manufacturers,” he added.
Huawei told in a statement that there is “no evidence or specific scenarios” that its technology has cybersecurity risks. “We will continue to cooperate with customers and partners in a constructive and open manner, promoting the improvement and progress of cybersecurity, and promoting the construction of mobile networks and digitalization in Germany,” the company added.
was unable to reach ZTE for comment.
The decision could further strain Germany’s relationship with China, its largest trading partner. Last week, Berlin blocked the sale of a Volkswagen subsidiary to a Chinese state-owned company on national security grounds, prompting a rebuke from Beijing. China is also embroiled in a trade conflict with the European Union, which imposed tariffs on Chinese electric cars last month.
A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that “turning economic, trade and technological issues into politics will only disrupt normal technological exchanges.”
Germany has been going back and forth for years about what to do with Huawei components in its 5G network after the United States, United KingdomAustralia and Japan effectively banned the company from building their 5G networks amid fears that Beijing could use Chinese technology companies to spy on its citizens.
The United States also placed Huawei on a list of trade restrictions in 2019, making it difficult for the company to obtain semiconductor chips from American suppliers. Those restrictions they hardened even more so earlier this year.
According to Huawei’s annual report, Europe, the Middle East and Africa accounted for 21% of its revenue last year.
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