"Security is an important part of our China policy. And with regard to the upcoming 5G auction, we share the worries of the US and other countries," Dutch Foreign Minister Stephanus Blok said during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in The Hague on Monday.
He added that a team of experts was studying the safety considerations surrounding the upcoming 5G auction in the Netherlands.
However, while the Netherlands wants to align its policies with thos of its allies, every country must ultimately make its own security decisions, he emphasised.
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Currently, European Union member states are assessing all risks to 5G networks and will be making their decision in June, according to Blok.
Speaking of cooperation with China, the Dutch minister noted that his country would like to engage with Beijing "whenever possible." However, he said the Netherlands continues to have concerns about the country's human rights practices.
The European Commission in March asked each EU member state to assess risks linked to 5G networks by the end of June. Member states are expected to update their security regulations, including obligations on suppliers and regulators. The commission said that the member states had the right to ban companies from their markets if they saw them as a security risk, but stopped short of introducing an EU-wide ban on any firms.
