Photo taken on March 5, 2020 shows Huawei's flagship store in Paris, France. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

"We are not prohibiting Huawei from investing in 5G. In France there is no discrimination against any operator whatsoever," French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire.

PARIS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- 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.

A worker prepares for the opening of Huawei's flagship store in Paris, France, March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

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.

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.