As work on the latest 5G mobile network infrastructure progresses around the world it appears that Germany is now joining the growing list of countries unwilling to allow the installation of Huawei equipment in its network, citing concerns over national security.

The news from Berlin is that regulations governing 5G network suppliers are to be tightened. This move is expected to lead to the exclusion of Huawei's chips and technology in Germany’s 5G network. This follows on from decisions already made by the US, New Zealand and Australia to exclude Huawei equipment from their own 5G mobile networks. Governments around the world are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of secure communication channels and are concerned by the potential threat of espionage by China given the close ties between the company and the Chinese government. The United Kingdom and Canada are also unlikely to use their equipment.

A review of Huawei's technology by the UK government identified potential flaws in Huawei's technical processes that could pose risks to the UK telecommunications networks. The University of Oxford also announced that it will not be accepting any research grants or donations from Huawei in the future.
According to a report by the BBC, the Chinese ambassador has already warned Canada of the consequences of excluding Huawei from procurement for the Canadian 5G network. Tensions between the two countries are escalating after a court in China sentenced a Canadian to death for drug smuggling. Some observers see this as a reaction to the US-initiated arrest in Canada of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer and director at Huawei (also daughter of the founder of Huawei).