The Chinese Embassy in Bucharest criticized in harsh terms, in a press release, the promulgation of the 5G law by President Klaus Iohannis. China says it "firmly opposes the use of non-technical standards and discriminatory provisions to exclude any country or enterprise from the market" and warns that it will continue to firmly protect the rights and legitimate interests of Chinese companies.
The push for the 5G law marks a tense new moment in relations with China, after Chinese companies were excluded from infrastructure tenders. The law gives the final say to the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) regarding the authorization of projects and de facto excludes the Chinese company Huawei from equipment manufacturing operations.
According to the 5G law, in order to participate in the construction of 5G telecommunications networks in Romania, companies must meet several conditions simultaneously:
a) is not under the control of a foreign government, in the absence of an independent legal system; b) has a transparent shareholder structure; c) does not have a history of unethical corporate conduct; d) is subject to a legal system that imposes transparent corporate practicesOr , regarding the Chinese company Huawei, it is subject to US sanctions for unethical corporate conduct and is subject to an opaque legal system – the Chinese one – that does not enforce transparent corporate practices.
The statement of the Chinese Embassy:
China respects Romania's right to legislate in the field of cyber security, at the same time, as the 5G legislation determines whether or not Chinese companies can enjoy a fair, just, open and transparent business environment, we are extremely concerned about this law. From the very beginning, the Chinese Embassy in Romania has repeatedly expressed its position and expressed its solemn concern to the Romanian government, political parties, parliament and other relevant institutions. We strongly oppose the use of non-technical standards and discriminatory provisions to exclude any country or enterprise from the market, and we strongly oppose actions that undermine the principle of fair competition and the spirit of the rule of law.
5G network security is a general concern of the international community. All parties should advocate the concept of open cooperation in the field of cyber security, uphold the principle of giving equal importance to development and security, jointly discuss standards and rules for 5G network security, thereby promoting the healthy and sustainable development of the digital economy, and build a community with a shared future in cyberspace that is peaceful, secure, open, cooperative and orderly.
Deviating from industry norms and technical standards to judge cyber security is against scientific sense and is a denial of the principles of market economy and fair competition, and its essence being the abuse of the concept of "national security" in order to exclude certain countries and companies, represents a typical act of discrimination and political suppression.
The spiritual essence of the rule of law is equity and justice. Obviously, discriminatory laws will not only seriously hinder the development of relevant industries in the country concerned, affect the interests of consumers, but also seriously undermine the free market-oriented business environment, respect for the rule of law and internationalization in that country, they will reduce the attractiveness of foreign investment and multinational companies and ultimately cause a serious negative impact on the image and interests of the respective country.
Chinese telecommunications companies have a good safety record and have worked diligently in Romania for a long time in compliance with the law, making outstanding contributions to the improvement of the communications industry, economic development, and employment and people's welfare. We are confident that if Romania maintains a friendly market environment, the investments of Chinese companies in Romania will be expanded and bring more benefits to Romanian citizens, and if Chinese companies are excluded, the interests of the Romanian people and Sino-Romanian economic cooperation and commercial will be substantially affected.
China and Romania enjoy a traditional friendship, and the achievements of cooperation accumulated since the establishment of diplomatic relations over 70 years ago did not come easily. Carrying out bilateral cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and joint gain corresponding to the common interests of both countries. Taking a long-term perspective, we should promote the continuous development of the broad partnership of friendship and cooperation between the two countries in the new situation. We call on the Romanian side to firmly support the rule of law, treat Chinese companies in a fair, just and non-discriminatory way, and take concrete actions to uphold the general interests of bilateral pragmatic cooperation. The Chinese government will continue to firmly protect the rights and legitimate interests of Chinese companies. (photo: Pexels.com)