German leaders to decide soon whether to curb use of Chinese 5G equipment

18/5/2024 7:08

        Leading German politicians,
        including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, will meet soon to decide on
        whether or not to force telecom operators to curb their use of
        equipment made by China's Huawei and ZTE, people familiar with
        the matter said.
        
        The talks between Scholz, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and
        Transport Minister Volker Wissing are aimed a reaching stricter
        security requirements for the 5G mobile network, the people
        said, following months of delays.
        
        The Interior Ministry last year came out with proposals to
        make changes to 5G networks after a review highlighted Germany's
        reliance on the two Chinese suppliers.
        
        Berlin has been reassessing its relationship with China, a
        country it dubs both a partner and systemic rival but which is a
        core market for some of Germany's most well-known companies,
        including Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz.