Chinese telecom giant Huawei on Wednesday welcomed the decision by the European Union to not ban it from taking part in the bloc's 5G roll-out strategy.
Huawei said the EU's decision to limit, but not ban, "high-risk" suppliers as it deploys next-generation telecommunications networks was an appropriate security choice and that it was based in facts.
"Huawei welcomes Europe's decision, which enables Huawei to continue participating in Europe's 5G roll-out," the company said in a statement. "This non-biased and fact-based approach towards 5G security allows Europe to have a more secure and faster 5G network."
The EU's decision comes just after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also gave the Chinese tech company a limited green light in the UK's own 5G deployment, defying a push by the US to isolate Huawei and limit its influence abroad.
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Citing security concerns, the US government has been pressuring allies to follow in its footsteps and ban Huawei, one of two Chinese companies leading the 5G market. The company has already been banned by the governments of Japan and Australia.
The US government has accused Huawei of spying for the Chinese government, with German media reporting that the German government held proof that the tech company cooperated with Chinese security forces, according to the Belga news agency.
The EU's decision, published as part of a 5G toolbox, is expected to guide EU member states, whose governments will ultimately get the final say on whether to allow the Chinese firm to take part in developing 5G data networks.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
