Berlin studies ways to exclude the Chinese company from the 5G network. The University of Oxford bans donations and research grants from Huawei. Ren Zhengfei, the founder, promises to invest even more funds in network security.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - More bad news for Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant. According to press rumors, Germany is studying ways to exclude the Chinese company from the 5G network.
Officially, the German foreign ministry has declared that it is opposed to the ban of any competitor. But a series of security requirements is being investigated that could exclude Huawei, suspected and accused of espionage in favor of China.
United States, Australia and New Zealand have blocked the use of its technology for the new 5G mobile phone generation. Britain has also expressed concerns about its security and Canada wants to revise its relationship with the company.
Meanwhile, yesterday Oxford University announced a ban on the receipt of donations and research grants from Huawei. The academic center's spokesman stated that the decision was made "in light of the public concerns that emerged in recent months regarding the collaboration between Great Britain and Huawei".
Ren Zhengfei, the founder of the technological giant, broke the silence for the second time this week, releasing another interview yesterday, one of the few in all these years.
Days ago, meeting the international media at Huawei's Shenzhen headquarters, he defended himself against espionage charges. Yesterday, meeting with Chinese media, he said that he wants to remain a commercial ally of the US and has promised to invest even more funds on network security.
The United States warned against using Huawei products for security reasons and opened an investigation that would incriminate the company for stealing trade secrets. In Poland, a Huawei employee, Wang Weijing, was arrested for spying and in Canada, the daughter of Ren Zhengfei, Meng Wanzhou, who is the company's financial director, was arrested – later freed on bail - for violating the US embargo on Iran. Meng could be extradited to the United States, where she faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.