Germany and Spain are leading opposition against the European Commission’s proposal to ban Chinese telecom suppliers Huawei and ZTE from EU telecommunications networks under new cybersecurity rules [1, 2]. Officials from both countries want to retain state-level control over decisions regarding telecom infrastructure, resisting EU-wide legally binding bans [1, 2].
German and Spanish officials have raised concerns that the ban could trigger Chinese retaliation against Europe [1, 2]. They also warned it would increase costs and complicate the EU’s efforts to build artificial intelligence infrastructure [1, 2].
The European Commission has labelled Huawei and ZTE "high-risk suppliers" and is pushing for legally binding cybersecurity assessments to guard against foreign influence risks at the EU level [1, 2]. Huawei has denied embedding backdoors for unauthorized access and called exclusion based on origin a violation of EU fairness principles. A Huawei spokesperson said, "A proposal to exclude Chinese suppliers based on their country of origin violates the EU’s basic legal principles of fairness." [2]
China’s Foreign Ministry expressed serious concerns about the potential restrictions. It warned that discriminatory treatment of Chinese companies would prompt China to take "resolute measures in accordance with relevant regulations" to protect its companies’ rights and interests [1]. The ministry also cautioned that such restrictions could lead to economic fallout and retaliation.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz intends to strengthen Sino-German ties despite previous criticism of reliance on China [1, 2]. Meanwhile, the EU is considering a temporary lift of sanctions on a Chinese chip supplier to support Europe’s automotive supply chain [2].
Reports on the opposition by Germany and Spain to the EU ban first emerged in May 2024 [1]. With the debate ongoing, the next focus is on upcoming EU discussions to determine whether the ban will be implemented or altered.
