French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire leaves after the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on July 15, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

PARIS - French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday that France is not banning China-based tech company Huawei from investing in its next-generation 5G telecom networks, but will protect its interests of "national security."

"We are not prohibiting Huawei from investing in 5G. In France there is no discrimination against any operator whatsoever," Le Maire told France info radio.

We are not prohibiting Huawei from investing in 5G. In France there is no discrimination against any operator whatsoever.

Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Economy and Finance

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In the meantime, France will protect its "strategic" and "national security" interests, the minister added, defending the French position as "clear and balanced."

French telecommunications operators, such as SFR and Bouygues, have used Huawei's equipment in their current networks. A previous article published by French financial newspaper Les Echos said that banning Huawei's equipment will cost the operators dearly.

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5G is the next-generation telecommunications technology that has the potential to create a better-connected world and become a driving force behind a new wave of digital economy.