Why is Huawei a security risk, chairman asks US, Australia

No government has released evidence of wrongdoing by Huawei. Pic/AFP

The chairman of Huawei called on the United States, Australia and other governments on Tuesday to provide evidence to back up claims the Chinese tech giant is a security risk as it launched a public relations effort to defuse fears that threaten its role in next-generation communications.

Accusations against the biggest global supplier of network gear stem from "ideology and geopolitics," Ken Hu said. He warned excluding Huawei from the rollout of fifth-generation telecoms would raise costs and hamper innovation.

Hu talked to American, European and Asian reporters who were invited to Huawei headquarters in southern China as part of efforts to tamp down concerns the company says are unfounded.

If governments have evidence, "it should be made known," Hu said, adding that governments don't have to disclose information publicly but at least should show phone companies that will be blocked from using Huawei technology. No government has released evidence of wrongdoing by Huawei, but the accusations threaten its ability to compete in a sensitive field as carriers prepare to invest billions of dollars.

Afghan thanks US
Afghanistan has thanked the US for exempting Iran's strategic Chabahar port from its tough sanctions, saying the project, being developed by India, was an important commercially viable gateway for the land-locked country's access to the sea. Afghanistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahmoud Saikal said, "We appreciate the collaboration and flexibility of our strategic partner, the United States to work with Afghanistan, Iran and India towards exempting the port from its Sanctions."

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