Sweden has decided to build its own Five G network without Chinese company Huawei amid deteriorating relations with China.
The Swedish authorities have made this decision in line with the latest opinion polls conducted in the country. The survey highlighted the need to prioritize human rights and democratic reform in China.
The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) said on Friday that the networks of Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE had been banned due to security concerns as the October decision of the Court of Appeal upheld. Sweden will resume its next-generation telecom auction next month.
Earlier, in October, PTS said it was banning the use of telecommunications equipment by Chinese technology giant Huawei and ZTE in developing the Five G network in Sweden on the recommendation of the country's military.
According to a press release, Sweden has selected four companies - HI 3G Access, Net for Mobility, TeliaSaveris and Terracom.
According to an Asia Times report, American spies accused Huawei of plotting to steal data. U.S. officials claimed last February that there was evidence of Huawei's ability to steal information.
Earlier, in August 2018, US President Donald Trump signed a decree calling on various US departments to refrain from using network equipment made by Huawei and ZTE for national security.
And last July, the UK government said the country would launch Huawei on its Five G networks between January 2021 and 2027.
In response to the Swedish Court of Appeals upholding the ban, Gui Kongiu, Beijing's ambassador to Stockholm, said he still hoped Sweden would provide a "non-discriminatory" business environment for Chinese companies and that the country would address their security concerns.
A survey was conducted in Sweden last September and October, in which 82 percent of people voted in favor of advancing human rights and democratic reform in China as a policy priority. And only 20 percent in Sweden were in favor of China's involvement in building FiveG infrastructure.
