<p>Chinese telecom giant Huawei on Wednesday won a contract to supply 5G infrastructure in Germany but the politically sensitive deal is subject to government approval following US concerns about snooping.</p>.<p>Telefonica Germany, the second-biggest operator after Deutsche Telekom, said it was giving Huawei and Finland's Nokia an equal role in the project, calling the two companies "proven strategic partners".</p>.<p>"This cooperation... will be subject to successful security certification of the technology and the companies in accordance with the legal regulations in Germany," Telefonica Germany said in a statement.</p>.<p>The company, a unit of Spanish giant Telefonica, said it was "thus responding to the ongoing political process of defining these security guidelines without delaying the start of the 5G roll-out".</p>.<p>It said it would begin the 5G upgrade next year and was hoping to supply 30 cities by the end of 2022.</p>.<p>The US and other international powers have voiced concerns that Huawei could be used by Beijing for spying -- a claim the company strenuously denies.</p>.<p>Germany has so far defied pressure to exclude Huawei from taking part in the bidding process, insisting that it would set stringent security conditions.</p>.<p>But critics have accused Berlin of trying to appease China, its largest trading partner, and putting economic interests first.</p>.<p>Last month, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier sparked US anger by drawing a parallel between alleged Chinese and US snooping as part of the debate.</p>.<p>Altmaier referred to the allegations that began emerging in 2013 of US spying on German soil.</p>.<p>Even so, he said: "We didn't boycott them".</p>.<p>Altmaier also pointed out that the US required its own telecoms companies to provide information "that is necessary in the fight against terrorism".</p>.<p>US Ambassador Richard Grenell said there was "no moral equivalency between China and the United States".</p>
<p>Chinese telecom giant Huawei on Wednesday won a contract to supply 5G infrastructure in Germany but the politically sensitive deal is subject to government approval following US concerns about snooping.</p>.<p>Telefonica Germany, the second-biggest operator after Deutsche Telekom, said it was giving Huawei and Finland's Nokia an equal role in the project, calling the two companies "proven strategic partners".</p>.<p>"This cooperation... will be subject to successful security certification of the technology and the companies in accordance with the legal regulations in Germany," Telefonica Germany said in a statement.</p>.<p>The company, a unit of Spanish giant Telefonica, said it was "thus responding to the ongoing political process of defining these security guidelines without delaying the start of the 5G roll-out".</p>.<p>It said it would begin the 5G upgrade next year and was hoping to supply 30 cities by the end of 2022.</p>.<p>The US and other international powers have voiced concerns that Huawei could be used by Beijing for spying -- a claim the company strenuously denies.</p>.<p>Germany has so far defied pressure to exclude Huawei from taking part in the bidding process, insisting that it would set stringent security conditions.</p>.<p>But critics have accused Berlin of trying to appease China, its largest trading partner, and putting economic interests first.</p>.<p>Last month, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier sparked US anger by drawing a parallel between alleged Chinese and US snooping as part of the debate.</p>.<p>Altmaier referred to the allegations that began emerging in 2013 of US spying on German soil.</p>.<p>Even so, he said: "We didn't boycott them".</p>.<p>Altmaier also pointed out that the US required its own telecoms companies to provide information "that is necessary in the fight against terrorism".</p>.<p>US Ambassador Richard Grenell said there was "no moral equivalency between China and the United States".</p>