US probes China's Huawei over equipment near missile silos
Categories: US NEWS
US probes China's Huawei over equipment near missile silos
Two people familiar with the matter said the Biden administration is investigating Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei that US cell towers fitted with its gear could capture sensitive information from military bases and missile silos, which the company may send to China.
Officials are concerned that Huawei may obtain sensitive data on the status of bases and personnel readiness through military exercises and equipment, one of the people said, requesting anonymity because the investigation is confidential and involves national security.
The previously unrestricted investigation was opened by the Commerce Department shortly after Joe Biden took office early last year, sources said, following the implementation of the rules to enforce a May 2019 executive order that gave the agency investigative authority .
According to a 10-page document seen by Reuters, the agency asked Huawei in April 2021 to know the company's policy on sharing data with foreign parties that its equipment can capture from cell phones, including messages and geolocational data .
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to specific allegations. In an emailed statement, it said:"The US government abuses the concept of national security and state power to suppress Huawei and other Chinese telecommunications companies without providing any concrete evidence that they are a security threat to the US and other countries."
Eight current and former US government officials said the investigation reflected national security concerns about the company, which had already been hit by several US sanctions in recent years. Please click for a timeline on US government trade sanctions on Huawei. If the Commerce Department determines that Huawei is a national security threat, it could go beyond current sanctions imposed by the US telecommunications regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Using sweeping new powers created by the Trump administration, the agency could ban all US transactions with Huawei, remove US telecommunications carriers that still rely on its gear, quickly remove it, or fines or other penalties. Let's face it, several lawyers, academics and former executives said in interviews with Reuters.
US probes China's Huawei over equipment near missile silos
Two people familiar with the matter said the Biden administration is investigating Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei that US cell towers fitted with its gear could capture sensitive information from military bases and missile silos, which the company may send to China.
Officials are concerned that Huawei may obtain sensitive data on the status of bases and personnel readiness through military exercises and equipment, one of the people said, requesting anonymity because the investigation is confidential and involves national security.
The previously unrestricted investigation was opened by the Commerce Department shortly after Joe Biden took office early last year, sources said, following the implementation of the rules to enforce a May 2019 executive order that gave the agency investigative authority .
According to a 10-page document seen by Reuters, the agency asked Huawei in April 2021 to know the company's policy on sharing data with foreign parties that its equipment can capture from cell phones, including messages and geolocational data .
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to specific allegations. In an emailed statement, it said:"The US government abuses the concept of national security and state power to suppress Huawei and other Chinese telecommunications companies without providing any concrete evidence that they are a security threat to the US and other countries."
Eight current and former US government officials said the investigation reflected national security concerns about the company, which had already been hit by several US sanctions in recent years. Please click for a timeline on US government trade sanctions on Huawei. If the Commerce Department determines that Huawei is a national security threat, it could go beyond current sanctions imposed by the US telecommunications regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Using sweeping new powers created by the Trump administration, the agency could ban all US transactions with Huawei, remove US telecommunications carriers that still rely on its gear, quickly remove it, or fines or other penalties. Let's face it, several lawyers, academics and former executives said in interviews with Reuters.