Huawei News: Germany Says Participation Of Chinese Telecom Giant Necessary For 5G Rollout

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Saturday that Germany needs the participation of Chinese telecom giant Huawei to roll out its 5G wireless network.

“I don’t see that we can set up a 5G network in Germany in the short term without participation by Huawei,” Seehofer told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Seehofer said that by keeping Huawei out, it would delay the implementation of Germany’s 5G network by five to 10 years.

Seehofer has said he is “against taking a product off the market just because there is a possibility that something might happen.”

Huawei has been a hot topic for many European countries, with the U.S. government claiming that by letting Huawei onto national 5G networks, it would allow Beijing to obtain confidential U.S. intelligence or spy on American assets.

Germany has been divided on the issue, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel saying it must be open to working with Huawei on the 5G issue, believing a ban would be impractical. Yet, Beijing-skeptical hawks in Merkel’s ruling coalition have wanted to impose tighter regulations on the company’s participation.

The U.K. has also been divided on the Huawei issue, after U.S. officials visited London this week to persuade the country to ban Huawei’s participation. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that opponents of Huawei should suggest an “alternative” to the company.

The Trump administration has been strict on Huawei, implementing a blacklist against the company in May which bars U.S. firms from working with the Chinese telecommunications giant. Huawei’s CFO, Meng Wanzhou, is currently awaiting extradition to the U.S. from Canada due to financial fraud charges.