As the US opts to ban Huawei from building 5G infrastructure, instead choosing to have domestic companies do the job, Germany is looking to make their own decision on the matter. For the US, the main factor involved is the ongoing trade-war with China, as well as the potential for Chinese intelligence to use Huawei as a backdoor. For Germany the situation is more complicated. The US and China are Germany’s two largest trade partners, and there are fears that banning Huawei would harm their relationship with China. Meanwhile there are also fears that not banning Huawei might harm their relationship with the US. On top of this, Germany is also eager to build an effective 5G network, after their 4G network which lagged behind the standard set by other rich European countries, which Huawei could provide for an affordable price. The issue has Germany’s government divided.
