Several years after Australia did so, Germany, the country with the largest economy in Europe, has now taken the extraordinary step of moving to ban Chinese companies including Huawei and ZTE from participating in its 5G network development.

“We are protecting the central nervous system of Germany as a business location, and we are protecting the communications of citizens, companies and the state,” said interior minister Nancy Faeser as the country ordered a staggered ban on of Chinese components in domestic 5G networks by 2029.

Mobile network operators in the country including Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica have reportedly agreed to remove the components from their 5G “core networks” which are connected to the internet and operate as control centres by the end of 2026.

By the end of 2029, Chinese parts will also be removed from “access and transport networks,” which include the physical components of the 5G network such as transmission lines and towers.

The German government said that the step was taken to ensure “secure and resilient telecommunications infrastructure,” given the “dangers of sabotage and espionage.” “In order to avoid critical vulnerabilities and dependencies, trustworthy manufacturers must therefore be relied upon,” it added.

Some in Germany are critical of the extended five-year plan to eventually phase out the Chinese components and wanted an accelerated timetable, while others have attempted to downplay the threats and argue against the ban.

Providers such as Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica have previously resisted calls for components to be removed, arguing that the costs involved were unnecessary and prohibitive. They also cautioned of possible disruptions to the country’s data connections if the transition away from Chinese components was rushed.

The Chinese companies affected by the ban and the government too have moved to counter security fears over the use of its technology. “We will continue to cooperate with customers and partners in a constructive and open manner, promote the improvement and progress of cybersecurity, and promote the construction of mobile networks and digitalization in Germany,” Huawei told CNN in a statement adding that “there is no specific evidence or scenario.”

The Chinese embassy in Germany also added that the move “seriously damages mutual trust between the two sides, and will also affect future cooperation between China and Europe in related fields.” It pledged to take “necessary measures” to protect the interests of Chinese firms.

As far back as 2018, the federal government in Australia banned Huawei and ZTE from providing 5G technology for the country’s wireless networks. Like Germany, the UK too decided to discard Chinese components in phased manner from its 5G networks by first removing it from its core network by the end of end of 2024, and then completely from its infrastructure by 2027.