China rejected Costa Rica's concerns regarding cyber-security and spying Thursday after the Central American country said Chinese tech company Huawei was not eligible for providing 5G network services.
The embassy's rejection came after Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves said Wednesday that his focus was to improve national security. He added "the country where Huawei is based doesn't have a solid judicial framework that prevents spying."
The Chinese embassy in San Jose turned down Costa Rica's claims, calling them baseless and warning such statements can make an impact on economic ties with China.
The Chinese embassy said China "categorically rejects" all criminal wrongdoing including spying, as per Reuters.
Huawei, a Chinese multinational technology company headquartered in Shenzhen, is known for manufacturing and selling telecommunications equipment alongside smart devices phones and tablets.
Aside from the 5G network service, the company is currently providing other telecommunication services to Costa Rica's government.
As far as the 5G network being used for spying is concerned, any technology can be used for malicious purposes and become a national security threat. However, 5G is not specifically designed for such illegal activities.
Previously, the Costa Rican President approved a decree in August to regulate 5G network services and banned those companies that did not agree to an international cybercrime convention. The decree was applied to several tech companies based in China, South Korea, Russia and Brazil, among others.
In response, the Chinese embassy criticized Chaves' move, and said it affected the "confidence and expectations of Chinese companies to undertake economic-trade activities in Costa Rica and they erode the good energy to develop bilateral relations."
Considering the trade between both countries, China exports $2.78 billion to Costa Rica, while it imports $436 million worth of products, as of 2021.
China exports products including cold-rolled iron, broadcasting equipment and computers while it imports medical instruments, frozen bovine meat and semiconductor devices, as per the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
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