Huawei addresses spy concerns to UK government

Tech giant Huawei’s president has denied the firm has any links to Chinese spying operations.

In a letter to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, the firm’s president Ryan Ding insisted the firm was not involved with such practices.

But a 2012 US House Intelligence Committee report outlined Huawei’s links to the Chinese state, has since been picked up by other western governments, including Australia, Germany and the UK.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has also suggested that the company’s smartphones could be used to “maliciously modify or steal information.”

But Mr Ding insisted that Huawei had never and would never assist any country in gathering intelligence on other countries.

“Huawei is a closely watched company. We have 180,000 employees and tens of thousands of partners, and we are subject to extensive regulatory oversight in numerous countries around the globe,” Mr Ding wrote in response to a question from the committee about the extent Huawei could be compelled to assist Chinese intelligence agencies using hardware or software developed by the company.

“Were Huawei ever to engage in malicious behaviour, it would not go unnoticed – and it would certainly destroy our business. For us, it is a matter of security or nothing; there is no third option. We choose to ensure security.”

Mr Ding pledged to spend £1.5bn over the next five years in otder to address security concerns raised by the UK government last year.

The Huawei president concluded the letter by stressing the importance of the UK market to the Chinese firm’s business, calling it “one of the most favourable business environments in the world.”