German economy minister calls for strong European actors for 5G expansion

The EU supports the idea of free competition but must be vigilant when its security interests are affected, Germany's economy minister said when asked whether sidelining China's Huawei on the 5G mobile network expansion could lead to a competitive disadvantage.

He is not against Huawei, said Peter Altmaier after a video conference of European Union competition ministers on Friday. However, strong European actors were needed in this segment, he added.