Foreign ministry: 5G not exclusive to one country

Fifth-generation (5G) technology is not exclusive to one or few countries, but a result of exchange and cooperation among various countries, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Thursday.

His comments form China's official response to allegations on the security of Chinese tech companies' products and equipment, including Huawei.

According to a BBC report, the United States is campaigning its allies to exclude Chinese telecoms giant Huawei from delivering 5G.

Mobile World Congress 2019 will take place in Barcelona, Spain on Feb 25-28, and is expected to focus strongly on 5G.

The technology is one that the international tech community is striving toward, Geng said at a daily press conference.

The global industry chain, supply chain and value chain of 5G are highly integrated and cannot be separated, or it will impact multilateral cooperation, damage the open and inclusive market, and undermine international rules of fairness, justice and non-discrimination, he said.

China will strengthen communication and cooperation with all parties in science and the technology field, including 5G, Geng said.

In an age of globalization, no country should be separated from others to pursue independent development, and no technology can be developed or applied without cooperation, he said.

China will continue upholding the principles of joint consultation and cooperation for shared benefits, and work with all parties to grasp the opportunities brought by technological revolution for mutual benefit, he said.

China also hopes all countries will make the right judgments and choices in line with their own interests, he added.