Huawei looks at Australia
Chinese telecommunications company Huawei Technologies has
denied reports that the Australian security forces are investigating it on
spying charges.
Australian spooks are apparently worried that Huawei
technicians in Australia have direct links to the People's Liberation
Army. According to the The Australian newspaper claims have been made
by Huawei employees in
Sydney and Melbourne who approached the Aussie spy agency Australian
Security
Intelligence Organisation. Huawei has been in trouble over similar
claims in the US
and UK, although it strongly denies that it has any connections with
the
Chinese military.
The company's $2.2 billion joint bid with Bain Capital
for the computer-gear maker 3Com was withdrawn amid US government concern that
China would gain access to 3Com's anti-hacking technology used by the US
Defense Department. Huawei officials said it met with the ASIO in June to
provide an introduction to the Chinese company.
But the meeting was routine, Ross Gan, a spokesman at
Huawei, China's biggest telecommunications-equipment maker, said in the email.
The meeting was a routine briefing Huawei provides to governments, the industry
and customers, Gan said.