China on Thursday said the German government should evaluate providers of 5G cellular network technology without political considerations, amid concerns surrounding the involvement of Chinese firms in critical infrastructure.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing that politicizing economic, commercial and technological issues only serves to disrupt cooperation.
The spokesman said China hopes that Germany will respect facts, take appropriate decisions and provide a transparent and non-discriminatory market environment for businesses from all countries.
The comments from Beijing followed reports that the German government has made progress in negotiations with telecommunications providers.
In an initial phase, components from Chinese providers are to be withdrawn from use from 2026 in the core network, primarily involving data centres.
Chinese technology will be banned from 2029 in the access network, which connects consumers with service providers and is considered critical infrastructure.
The involvement of Chinese firms such as Huawei in the construction and running of 5G networks has been the subject of debate across Europe in recent years, amid concerns that China could gain access to sensitive data.
Lin noted that Huawei and other Chinese companies have been active in Europe for several years and have helped to build high-quality infrastructure. The companies have created jobs and paid taxes, he said, maintaining there is no evidence that they are jeopardizing national security.