Before reading this article, please click "Follow", which is convenient for you to discuss and share, and can bring you a different sense of participation, thank you for your support!
preface
Since China's overall strength has been increasing, developed countries, led by the United States, have gradually regarded China as a "sub-power" in the world. This has led these countries to feel threatened by the rapid rise of the mainland in the economic and technological fields, and have developed strong hostility, which has led to the introduction of a series of sanctions.
Some countries, such as Germany, have joined other G7 members to impose sanctions on mainland companies in an attempt to curb China's technological progress. However, the ban has caused Germany itself to suffer.
Huawei is an important player in "5G technology"
Huawei is the world's leading communications technology manufacturer, proficient in 5G, the world's most patents, and an important participant in the formulation of 5G standards. With the blessing of technology, Huawei's communication equipment has very good quality assurance, which can help countries complete 5G network construction as soon as possible.
You can see how Huawei's 5G reliability is, but in the mouth of Western countries, it has become a "network security". Discerning people know that this is just their rhetoric, because they are worried that Huawei's 5G strength is too good, making them lose their dominance in the 5G era.
Therefore, find ways to prevent the rise of Huawei 5G and exclude Huawei 5G. Among them, the United States and the United Kingdom also need to dismantle Huawei equipment, but Huawei equipment covers a wide range, not that it can be dismantled. The UK intends to dismantle Huawei equipment in 2027, but has delayed the removal time and time again.
"Five to six years delay"
Der Spiegel cited this internal document to say that if Deutsche Bahn had to replace all Huawei communication equipment, such as the base station for train radio communications, the cost would be as high as 400 million euros. In addition to the very large financial losses, the European rail project will face "five to six years of delay" in the short term to replace Huawei equipment.
German television said that in northern Germany alone, nearly 800 train radio communication base stations need to be changed. The network ensures communication links between station attendants and monitoring centers. Since 2015, Deutsche Bahn has been using components from Chinese manufacturers locally. For the group's internal IT infrastructure, the consequences of replacing equipment will also be severe. This will affect the core network on a massive scale. A spokesman for Deutsche Bahn declined to comment on the document.
For Deutsche Bahn, the discussion was particularly explosive. The German Handelsblatt previously said that despite concerns, Deutsche Bahn still relies on Huawei to promote digital management. Deutsche Bahn's network infrastructure is mainly made up of Chinese components. The state-owned company wants to stick with China. In December 2022, Deutsche Bahn awarded a €64 million contract agreement for most of the internet to Deutsche Telekom subsidiary BusinessSolutions. The company uses routers and taps from Huawei.
Not only is Deutsche Bahn afraid of Huawei's equipment being forcibly replaced, but also telecom network operators operating in Germany. Deutsche Presse reported that the European Commission urged network operators and member states to ban "Made in China" technology. Vodafone, in Germany, warned of the likely consequences.
Vodafone pointed out that the rapid abandonment of Chinese supplier technology will highlight the stability and transmission quality of German mobile mobile networks. The consequences will be felt not only in a short period of time, but also over a long period of time. The communications operator noted: "After replacing the antenna, the network quality is vulnerable to adverse effects for up to a year. ”
Major European telecom companies pointed out that the companies currently preparing to build 5G networks are indispensable for components of Chinese companies.
Quality and cost advantages of Chinese technology
The report mentioned the warning of the British company Vodafone that choosing to abandon the Chinese supplier's technology in a short period of time will cause very obvious damage to the stability of German mobile phone networks and the quality of transmitted data.
This view highlights the quality advantages of China's 5G technology. It has to be admitted that mainland technology companies have made new breakthroughs in the field of 5G, and the quality of their components is not only inferior to international competitors, but even slightly better in some aspects.
This advantage has prompted telecom operators in many countries to prefer Chinese supplier technology.
In addition, the cost advantages of Chinese technology companies are also various factors that cannot be ignored.
The relatively low price of parts for Huawei and ZTE has greatly reduced the construction costs of telecom operators to a certain extent, and also helped promote the development of 5G technology.
For developing countries, as well as some European countries, this is an economic advantage that cannot be ignored.
"Made in China" to "Created in China"
For China, it has shifted from "Made in China" to "Created in China". If Germany insists on withdrawing cooperation with Huawei, China will not stop it. After all, there have been such cases in the field of biology. With the development of technological research on the mainland, the mainland has gradually caught up with the hegemony of the United States and Japan in the biological field.
Like 5G communication technology, mitochondria play an important role in cellular aging. Through their own efforts, Chinese scientists and technicians have made great progress in this field. In the face of pressure from the United States, Huawei's 5G communication equipment has become a problem for countries such as Europe. Because if Huawei is not hindered, it may end up becoming a competitor that shakes the position of American technology.
Moreover, Europe is caught in a dilemma. First, they rely heavily on Chinese-made communications equipment; Moreover, EU countries are basically US allies. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Lithuania, have influenced their attitude towards Huawei and no longer use Huawei's 5G network construction. However, the choices of these countries have resulted in their own socio-economic damage.
At this stage, the attitude of developed countries such as Germany, Italy and Spain towards Huawei is in a state of ambiguity. After all, Huawei's 5G communication market share in Germany is as high as 59%. If Spain did not use Huawei equipment, operating costs would increase by 15%. Simply put, if European countries give up Huawei equipment in a comprehensive way, it will not only lose more than $100 billion, but also bring "roadblocks" to the communication equipment market.
epilogue
At the heart of the question is how to strike a balance between technological security and economic gain. In cutting-edge technology, technological territorial sovereignty is becoming an increasingly important issue. However, in the face of the wave of technological development, countries cannot fully achieve closure. In the context of globalization, technological collaboration and sharing cannot be delayed, but how to safeguard the fundamental interests of the country in this process is also a difficult task.
It is important to note that the impact of technology bans is not limited to the economic sector. For Deutsche Bahn, it is not only financial pressure, but also related to the stability of infrastructure construction and the smooth development of digital and intelligent transformation. But for European telcos, this is a technical and market challenge. They want to face changes in international politics and markets as conditions for protecting communications allow.
From the perspective of international politics, there are likely to be more topics behind the technology ban. With the change of the pattern in recent years, the competition in the field of technology has also become an important strategic competition. The rapid rise of China's technology is not only an economic phenomenon, but also a manifestation of scientific and technological strength. For Western countries, how to face this rise and protect their core key technologies has become an urgent task.