Germany’s interior minister wants Huawei kept in the country’s 5G network, and he put a cost figure on the alternative. Horst Seehofer told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that shutting out the Chinese vendor could push the rollout back by five to 10 years.
“I’m against taking a product off the market just because there’s a possibility that something might happen,” he said, adding that he was in complete agreement with Chancellor Angela Merkel on the question.
The pressure runs in both directions. Washington has been urging Berlin to exclude Huawei, arguing the company’s equipment carries back doors that would let China spy on other countries or sabotage their networks. Merkel has so far resisted a ban, saying Germany will impose strict security requirements without singling out specific firms.
The harder problem is domestic. The junior partner in her coalition, the center-left Social Democrats, is pushing a measure that would effectively lock Huawei out, and the proposal has won backing among some of Merkel’s own party colleagues. Seehofer himself noted that no German firm is currently able to build the network, and that only two companies in Europe could even try.
Follow the money and the standoff widens. Huawei has been a flashpoint in the trade fight with the United States since early 2018, and the company strongly rejects the espionage claims that Washington has used to justify sanctions. China’s ambassador to Germany has warned that excluding Huawei would bring consequences for German exports.
In mid-October 2019 Berlin said Huawei would not be shut out of the 5G buildout. The decision settled nothing: more than 50 lawmakers in Merkel’s own party later backed a motion to keep out suppliers that could be subject to the influence of a foreign state, a fight that ran on into the new year.
Sources
- German minister warns of 5G delays if Huawei is left out
- No end in sight for Germany’s troubles with Huawei | Lowy Institute
