China’s Foreign Ministry disputed a media report Tuesday that the country is mulling retaliation against telecom equipment makers Nokia and Ericsson if the European Union imposes restrictions on China’s tech giant Huawei Technologies, reported Caixin.
“China’s position on 5G is consistent and clear,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesman of the country’s foreign affairs ministry, at a regular press briefing on Tuesday. “We oppose the erroneous practice of stretching the national security concept and defying international trade rules to exclude certain companies of a particular country.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that China’s Ministry of Commerce is looking into export controls that would prevent Nokia and Ericsson from sending products made in China to other countries if European nations ban Chinese suppliers from their 5G networks following the US and the UK. The American newspaper cited unnamed sources.
Wang called the report “fake.” “We also hope that European countries will provide a fair, just, open and nondiscriminatory business environment for Chinese companies,” he said.