China blasts Germany over reported plan to ban Huawei, ZTE
Al JazeeraDec 23, 2022
The Facts
On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy in Berlin strongly voice opposition to Germany's reported plan to ban tech giants Huawei and ZTE from its 5G network for potential security risks.
Classifying the German government's decision as "hasty" and "without factual basis," the embassy said it was puzzled over Germany's alleged "abuse of state power to interfere in the market in its cooperation with China."
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
The existence of Chinese components in 5G networks poses the potential to contain back doors that would allow the Chinese government access to critical data, posing a serious security risk. In the past, China has violated international sanctions and stolen intellectual property, and there is no reason why it could not commit cyber espionage again. Germany must not ignore the evidence that China manipulates Huawei and ZTE equipment through software updates and could disrupt its military communications.
Pro-China narrative
Germany's discriminatory business environment violates economic laws and the principle of fair competition. For decades, Chinese companies have complied with local laws and safety standards. However, anti-China forces are now working to isolate Chinese technology at the US' behest as its ties with China sour over Taiwan and the Ukraine crisis. It's a battle of tech supremacy between the US and China. By politicizing the economic matter, Germany is on the verge of losing its biggest trading partner.