TOKYO, Dec 7, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Japan is to ban government use of telecoms
products made by Chinese tech giants Huawei and ZTE on concerns about
cybersecurity, reports said Friday.
The government plans to revise internal procurement rules to exclude
products made by Huawei and ZTE as early as on Monday, the mass circulation
Yomiuri Shimbun. Jiji Press agency also reported the expected move.
The ban comes after a US request to allies to avoid products made by the
two companies over fears they contain viruses used for cyberattacks, the
Yomiuri said, citing unnamed government sources.
Domestic products that use parts made by the two Chinese firms will also be
excluded from government use, it said.
The Yomiuri said the government was not expected to name the companies
directly, so as to avoid angering China.
Asked about the report, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga declined to
comment, adding Japan is “closely cooperating with the United States” on
cybersecurity issues.
The reports come after the arrest of a top Huawei executive infuriated
China, sending global market wobbling on fears of intensifying tensions
between Beijing and Washington.
The detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, comes
after American authorities reportedly launched an investigation into
suspected Iran sanctions violations by Huawei.
The firm was already under scrutiny by US intelligence officials who have
deemed the company a national security threat.
Huawei’s affordable smartphones have made strong inroads in the developing
world, but the company has faced repeated setbacks in major Western economies
over security concerns.
Huawei has been under scrutiny in Washington for more than a decade, and is
facing bans for 5G contracts in Australia and New Zealand, both Pacific
allies of the US.