US cyber chief warns China will use Huawei to spy on, steal from and attack the United Kingdom
A U.S. cyber chief has warned China will use Huawei to spy on, steal from and attack the UK.
Robert Strayer also suggested the Chinese telecoms giant is offering equipment at suspiciously low prices to get a foothold in the West.
His comments come as the UK Government considers using Huawei as a supplier for “non-core” parts of our 5G network.
Mr Strayer, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cyber and International Communications, is the latest US official to hit out.
He told the Henry Jackson Society think tank in Westminster: “Because of the essential role vendors play in networks, they could be ordered to undermine network security — to steal personal information, conduct espionage, disrupt critical services or conduct cyber attacks.”
He also pointed out that although Huawei is not state-owned, it is subject to Chinese law which can force it to cooperate with Chinese authorities.
He said “all phone calls could be surveilled” if China was able to get into UK mobile masts.
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He went on: “Part of the reason why Huawei has been so successful around the world is that they offer financing zero per cent interest for 20 years.” He described the deals as “in no way commercially reasonable”.
MP Bob Seely, on the Foreign Affairs Committee, told yesterday’s event: “ I don’t think we have got straight answers from [industry group] Mobile UK as to if there is a financial offer or inducement to have Huawei.”
Last week Huawei’s security boss told MPs: “We’ve never been asked by the Chinese government to do anything to weaken any country’s security.”
A Huawei spokesperson said: "We reject the latest round of unsupported allegations by the US in London today. Huawei is an independent privately owned company which has never been involved in a serious cyber security incident in 30 years of operations.
"In the absence of evidence, Assistant Secretary Strayer relies on crude stereotypes to argue our 18 year presence in the UK should be brought to an end.
"We will not be distracted from our overriding objective, which is to focus on developing world-leading 5G products for telecoms operators across Europe, so they can continue to enhance their networks, delivering new services and helping to boost economic growth."
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