Huawei blasts US ‘fearmongering’ as security concerns sharpen following arrest of Meng Wanzhou
- Huawei’s massive push to gain a prominent say in the future of mobile communications has raised hackles in the US
- It has now become a focal point for American attempts to contain China’s ascendancy
Huawei Technologies rotating chairman Ken Hu Houkun, speaking publicly for the first time since the shock arrest of the company’s chief financial officer, warned that blacklisting the Chinese firm without proof will only hurt the industry and snarl the advent of future wireless technologies worldwide.
The Shenzhen-based company took swipes at the US and its allies on Tuesday during its first press event since CFO Sabrina Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada on allegations she defrauded banks to violate Iranian sanctions. The daughter of billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei, she now faces extradition in a case that has sparked a diplomatic row, chilled travel to China and exacerbated fears Beijing could employ its networks for espionage, something Huawei has always denied.
Huawei, China’s largest technology company by sales, has rapidly become a lightning rod for America’s fears about the country, as tensions between the world’s two richest nations escalate.
In Europe, carriers and major customers from Orange to BT Group and Deutsche Telekom have voiced their concerns about Huawei’s gear, on top of existing bans in Australia, New Zealand and the US.
That unprecedented backlash comes at a critical juncture for a company with ambitions of leading the roll-out of 5G, the next-generation wireless technology expected to power-up a plethora of devices from smartphones to cars.
