The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) warns Britain that Huawei has received funding from three intelligence organizations connected with the Chinese government.
The United States presented the information to other members of the Five Eyes alliance — Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The report came as Britain plans to have a contract with Huawei in upgrading its 5G network systems.
Huawei declined to comment on what they called "unsubstantiated allegations" and reiterated that Washington has been vague in its recent and past claims.
Not A Spy Company
The CIA named the People's Liberation Army, China's National Security Commission, and a third branch of the Chinese state intelligence network as Huawei's fund sources.
The assumption that the Chinese government may interfere with Huawei's operations is entirely untrue, the company's chief global communicator Joy Tan told Forbes correspondent Zak Doffman.
"China does not have any law to force any company or business to install a back door. Premier Li Keqiang said that openly several weeks ago, the Chinese government would never do that, make any company spy," said Tan.
U.S. Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Susan Gordon said they will have to assume security risks in a diverse network like 5G. The challenge is to determine how to manage these risks in a technology that is yet to be trusted.
British intelligence agencies said they cannot guarantee that the risks to the national security brought by Huawei's involvement can be mitigated in the long term.
Anthony Glees, director of the Center for Security and Intelligence Studies at the University of Buckingham, said China can weaponize technologies like 5G if they want to. 5G is currently China's gateway to extend their global position and power.
Topic Of Debate
Whether or not UK is to proceed with the Huawei partnership is still subject for debate. Prime Minister Theresa May, together with other lawmakers, are set to have a debate in the upcoming meeting with the National Security Council.
Politicians have differing views on the matter. Some wanted a complete ban of the technology, while others dismissed the rumors and urged to proceed with the innovation.
"[UK's Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Center]'s work has continued to identify concerning issues in Huawei's approach to software development bringing significantly increased risk to UK operators, which requires ongoing management and mitigation," HCSEC said in an official oversight board report.
