WASHINGTON/BERLIN (DPA) - US President Donald Trump's security chief repeated a warning to Germany not to work with Huawei, in comments to the German Bild newspaper published on Wednesday (Nov 27).

The US has long emphatically warned Germany against allowing Chinese company Huawei to participate in expanding the country's telecoms network, saying the firm is intertwined with the Chinese government.

National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said he was surprised and shocked at the idea that a western democracy whose military secrets - or the secrets of their allies - lie close to their hearts, would allow China's Communist Party to build their 5G network.

Washington fears that Huawei would be forced to pass on data to Beijing, but the firm denies accusations from the US that it is an instrument for espionage by the Beijing government.

On Saturday, at the annual conference of Germany's largest governing party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said that Berlin will not necessarily exclude Huawei from bidding for contracts to build Germany's 5G network.

O'Brien also repeated US calls for Berlin to impose tough sanctions on Iran to bring the country back to the negotiating table, and agree on a long-term deal that encompasses Tehran's nuclear programme, missile technology, human rights situation and the country's regional influence.