Huawei boss accuses US of launching coordinated smear campaign
The rift between Huawei and western governments deepened today after a senior executive at the telecoms firm accused the US of mounting a smear campaign against it.
Huawei chairman Eric Xu slammed US authorities for carrying out a “coordinated geopolitical campaign” against the telecoms firm in a bid to gain ground in its ongoing trade war with China.
Read more: Italy denies it will ban Huawei from 5G rollout
The Chinese tech giant has been mired in controversy in recent months amid fears its equipment could be used for spying – an accusation it denies.
The comments came after US secretary of state Mike Pompeo ramped up the attack on Huawei by warning European allies against using the firm’s technology.
Earlier this week Pompeo told European countries the presence of Huawei technology could compromise diplomatic ties with the US.
But Xu today hit back at the claims, describing them as an “indication that the US government is using a national machine against a small company – as small as a sesame seed.”
Xu told reporters in Shenzhen a ban of Huawei’s equipment in US 5G infrastructure would not impact the company, the Daily Telegraph reported.
“No matter the outcome, it will not have a major impact because we have virtually no business presence there [in the US] and no expectation of a major business presence there,” he said.
Xu, who is one of the company’s three rotating chairman, also played down concerns about potential bans in Australia and New Zealand.
“We certainly don’t expect our 5G equipment to be chosen by all countries,” he said.
Huawei has launched a tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign in New Zealand in a bid to allay fears about the security of its products.
The firm took out full-page adverts in major New Zealand newspapers stating: “5G without Huawei is like rugby without New Zealand.”
Read more: Huawei cannot address UK security concerns for five years
Last week Huawei executive Ryan Ding last week penned a letter to MPs denying claims it would cooperate with Chinese authorities to spy on customers.
But it said the firm needs three to five years to resolve concerns raised in a report by UK security officials last year.