Australia has banned Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. from supplying equipment for a 5G mobile network citing national security risks, a move the Chinese telecoms gear maker criticised as being “politically motivated.”
The ban, announced on Thursday, signals a hardening of Australia’s stance toward its biggest trading partner at a time when relations between the two have soured over Canberra’s allegations of Chinese meddling in its politics.
This is also in line with measures taken by the United States to restrict Huawei and compatriot ZTE Corp from its lucrative market for similar reasons.
Australia said in an emailed statement on Thursday that national security regulations typically applied to telecom carriers would now be extended to equipment suppliers.
Firms “who are likely to be subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government” would leave the nation’s network vulnerable to unauthorised access or interference, and presented a security risk, the statement said.
‘Aimed at Huawei’
The statement did not identify the Chinese firm, but an Australian government official said the order was aimed at Huawei and precluded its involvement in the network.
Huawei, the world’s largest maker of telecommunications network gear, shot back saying that the 5G ban was “politically motivated” and that the company had never been asked to engage in intelligence work on behalf of any government.