German Economy Minister Peter Altmeyer met yesterday with the founder of China's telecommunications giant Huawei, Ren Shengfei, in Shanghai.
Sources at the German delegation said the meeting took place at the minister's hotel in the east China city as part of his three-day China tour.
In the debate over the telecommunications network and the second largest smartphone manufacturer, the German minister is seeking to clarify the security requirements that Germany wants to meet in expanding its fifth-generation mobile communications network. The German minister spoke of "a very natural encounter", based on Huawei's desire. He said before the meeting in a statement to the German news agency: "It is obvious that a company, active in this extent in Germany, can clarify its vision for the affairs of the competent minister." Huawei hopes to participate in the expansion of the fifth generation networks in Germany, but the United States has security concerns about the company's technologies that entered the front line in the US-China trade war. Because of fears of spying, the United States warns Germany and other countries of using Huawei's communications technologies. Germany's behavior in this regard may have an indicative effect on other countries.