German minister defends Huawei

Bloomberg

Economy minister Peter Altmaier defended the German government’s decision not to exclude China’s Huawei Technologies Co over security concerns, citing a similar decision years earlier in the wake of US espionage.
Germany didn’t boycott US companies when it surfaced in 2014 that the NSA spied on institutions and individuals in Europe’s biggest economy, Altmaier said on broadcaster ARD.
“The US also demands from its companies that they pass on certain info that are needed to fight terrorism,” Altmaier said during a talk show that focussed on the question if China can be trusted.
Chancellor Angela Merkel is under pressure from US and Germany’s intelligence services — as well as her own party — to keep Huawei out of her country’s 5G network over security concerns. She is, however, sticking to her guns, determined to let Huawei participate as long as the company fulfills certain security standards.
The Chinese company has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying it would never do something to hurt its business.
Germany will pass a law that’s aimed at ensuring the software and devices built into the country’s mobile phone network are safe, Altmaier said, adding that telecom companies should choose the suppliers for the country’s network, not the government.
“It must be demonstrably ensured that the Chinese state has no influence, and every single component must be certified to ensure it hasn’t been manipulated in any way,” Altmaier said. “That of course also applies to European and US suppliers.”