Australian spy chief explains ban on Chinese tech firms Huawei and ZTE, deemed ‘high-risk vendors’
- In August, the Australian federal government decided to bar Huawei and ZTE from supplying equipment to Australia’s 5G network
- Australian policy institute claims at least 300 Chinese military scientists came to Australia as PhD students or visiting scholars
Australia’s spy chief has explained why China’s Huawei Technologies or ZTE Corp could not be allowed to help build Australia’s new 5G mobile network, saying a potential threat anywhere in the network could undermine the entire project.
Mike Burgess, the director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), said if “high-risk vendor equipment” is used anywhere in Australia’s evolving 5G network, the future communications system underpinning water supply and electricity grid and health systems, even self-driving cars, could not be protected.
“The stakes could not be higher,” Burgess warned. “Historically, we have protected the sensitive information and functions at the core of our telecommunications networks by confining our high-risk vendors to the edge of our networks. But the distinction between core and edge collapses in 5G networks. That means that a potential threat anywhere in the network will be a threat to the whole network.”
Burgess made his comments at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s (ASPI) national security dinner in Canberra on Monday evening. His comments coincide with ASD making its Twitter debut, announcing its arrival with a message describing the agency as a “long time listener, first time caller”.
In August the Australian federal government decided to bar Huawei and ZTE from supplying equipment to Australia’s 5G network, claiming it was necessary to protect national security. Marise Payne, the foreign affairs minister, said it was not targeted specifically at Huawei and ZTE but applied to any company that had obligations clashing with Australia’s national security.
The decision to ban Huawei and ZTE from running the technology has infuriated Beijing and sparked a PR battle over the trustworthiness of those firms. Both operate with Chinese state backing but are among the biggest technology companies in the world. Huawei, founded by a People’s Liberation Army researcher, and ZTE have been accused by the US Congress of being tools of the Chinese intelligence services.
“The Australian government has made the wrong decision and it will have a negative impact to the business interests of China and Australia companies,” China’s commerce ministry said.