Huawei says US has blocked its expansion plan
CHINESE telecoms giant Huawei yesterday launched an outspoken attack on the US, saying its expansion in America had been blocked by “allegations against allegations”.
The outburst from Huawei – the world’s biggest telecoms firm – threatens to raise tensions between the countries as a year-long investigation into Huawei and ZTE, another Chinese firm, by America’s House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee ends.
Huawei released a strongly worded report ahead of yesterday’s committee hearing, at which Huawei’s corporate vice president Charles Ding defended the company against accusations of installing “backdoor technology” in its infrastructure. “When one set of allegations are substantiated with another set of allegations, the line between investigation and maltreatment grows thin,” Huawei’s report said.
“Neither the Chinese government nor the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has any interest in us,” Ding claimed at yesterday’s hearing.
“The investigation is reviewing the extent to which these companies have ties to the Chinese government, or otherwise provide the Chinese government an opportunity for greater foreign espionage, threaten our critical infrastructure, or increase the opportunities for Chinese economic espionage,” the committee said.
Huawei’s chief executive Ren Zhengfei – a former PLA soldier – announced a £1.3bn investment in the UK earlier this week.