China says ban on Huawei will be 'brazen' violation of market principles

China on Wednesday said that if the EU decides to ban Chinese technology giant Huawei, it would be a "brazen" violation of the principles of market economy, free trade, and fair competition that the "EU claims to champion."

Responding to reports that the EU is considering a mandatory ban on using Huawei to build 5G, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the company has never harmed the security of any European country since it started its operation in Europe many years ago.

On the contrary, he went on to say, it has given a "strong" boost to Europe's telecommunications sector and generated "considerable" socioeconomic benefits.

"The US and some European countries keep alleging that Huawei poses a security risk, but have failed to show any evidence," he said.

This, he added, is a "typical presumption of guilt and disinformation."

"The US's whole-of-government suppression of Huawei, a private Chinese company, is a textbook example of coercive diplomacy and tech bullying," he alleged.

He said that Beijing hopes the EU "will honor its commitment to those principles, steer clear of politicizing economic and trade issues or overstretching the concept of security, and make economically sound decisions that are in keeping with its own interests."