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GroenLinks states that it is a bad idea for the Netherlands to use Huawei equipment in 5G networks. Party leader Jesse Klaver and former list leader Bram van Ojik write this in an open letter after a working visit to China.

“The Cabinet would be wise not to choose Huawei for our new 5G network”, according to the two politicians in the letter. “Working with this tech giant is an unacceptable risk as long as the Communist Party’s grip on Chinese business is so great.”

This refers to the concerns of various Western governments that the equipment of Chinese companies is being misused for espionage by the Chinese government. Several countries have already excluded Huawei from the networks, and in Belgium an investigation has been started into the possible links between the company and the Chinese government. The EU would also consider excluding Chinese companies from the roll-out of 5G.

The two politicians from the Green Left wrote their letter with conclusions following a working visit to China. The party is now arguing in favour of looking at European alternatives. “We would do better to reduce the risks of industrial espionage and hacking and to opt for European solutions. “These alternatives could be, for example, Nokia or Ericsson.

Huawei denial

Huawei himself says that his equipment is as safe as that of his western competitors. It also denies having any links with the Chinese government for some time now and that their equipment is being misused for espionage.

“Wrong and narrowed knowledge of Chinese law should not be taken as a basis for questioning Huawei’s business,” said a company spokesman in November last year. “We’ve never been asked to do intelligence work for any government.”

This news article was automatically translated from Dutch to give Techzine.eu a head start. All news articles after September 1, 2019 are written in native English and NOT translated. All our background stories are written in native English as well. For more information read our launch article.