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After Britain, Germany Emerges as Next 5G Battleground

Natalie Liu

   WASHINGTON - Following Britain's decision to ban Chinese tech firm
   Huawei from its 5G telecom network, Germany is emerging as the next
   potential battleground to check China's expansion of influence in world
   affairs, which is increasingly seen as a serious challenge to
   democratic institutions worldwide.

   Germany's decision on whether to include Huawei equipment in its own
   network "is still up for grabs," said Reinhard Buetikofer, a member of
   Germany's opposition Green Party who chairs the European Parliament's
   Delegation for Relations with the People's Republic of China.

   Britain's decision "may very well have an impact on the decision
   Germany is about to make," Buetikofer said in a phone interview from
   Berlin.

   Buetikofer said Britain's plan to include Huawei in its next-generation
   network -- which was abruptly reversed in a dramatic announcement last
   week -- had been held out as a model by German supporters of the
   Chinese telecom giant.

   "In the past, supporters of having Huawei construct Germany's 5G
   network often pointed out: 'Look, the Brits knew that much more about
   Huawei than we do, if the Brits are not doing anything about it, why
   should we?'" But Britain's July 14 decision has pulled out the rug from
   under that argument.

   Buetikofer, a strong advocate for decoupling his country from Huawei,
   greeted the British announcement with a challenge to German Chancellor
   Angela Merkel.

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