German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier addresses a news conference to present the national industry strategy for 2030 in Berlin, Germany, February 5, 2019. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Tuesday that only secure technology could be installed to build Germany’s 5G network, adding that clear rules applied to all providers.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said earlier on Tuesday that Germany needed guarantees that China’s Huawei Technologies would not hand over data to the Chinese state before the telecoms equipment supplier can participate in building its 5G network.

China’s Huawei Technologies faces international scrutiny over its ties with the Chinese government and suspicion that Beijing could use Huawei’s technology for spying, which the company denies. The German government has yet to reach a common stance on whether to follow other countries in excluding Huawei from its market on national security grounds.