Merkel gives nod to Huawei deal amid massive Opposition
Dec 17, 2020
Berlin [Germany], December 17 : Despite massive opposition from Social Democratic and Green Party members of the Bundestag, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government strikes deal with Huawei to build 5G networks in Germany with security regulations.
Germany's cabinet on Wednesday sent legislation to the Bundestag that will allow China's national champion Huawei to build 5G networks in Europe's largest economy, under strict security guarantees, reported Asia Times.
Earlier, the US government had lobbied with Angela Merkel's government to exclude the Chinese firm altogether over concerns that the gear could be exploited for espionage by China.
The American intelligence community has accused the Chinese firm of plotting to steal data transmitted through it is hardware, and US officials last February claimed to have evidence of Huawei's ability to steal information, in the form of a "back door" for law enforcement monitoring of communications, reported Asia Times.
Citing the Wall Street Journal article by William Boston, Asia Times reported that American media decried the proposed German law as "a setback for the outgoing US administration". The Merkel government might have decided differently if Donald Trump had been re-elected.
The proposed legislation would make Huawei and other providers of network gear financially liable for compromised security. It would also give German security agencies complete network access to determine the networks' integrity, reported Asia Times
Meanwhile, major economies like the US, UK, India, and Taiwan have planned to block Huawei 5G equipment in their respective countries owing to Huawei's untrustworthy regulations.
