Huawei has been singled out for possibly excessive lobbying in Australia ahead of a government decision over whether to allow the Chinese company to supply 5G networks in the country. The government-backed Australian Strategic Policy Institute found that Huawei accounted for 20 percent of sponsored trips for federal politicians in the period since 2010. That's 12 of the total 55 such trips reported during the period, the broadcaster ABC reported.
The politicians were taken to visit Huawei's headquarters in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. The trips involved business class flights, domestic travel, free accommodation and meals. The 12 politicians involved, which included Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Trade Minister Steve Ciobo, declined to comment.
The Hong Kong government, Chinese government and Australian Guangdong Chamber of Commerce followed in the number of sponsored trips Australian politicians took in the period.
Huawei was banned in 2012 as a supplier for Australia's National Broadband Network on the advice of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). The country's National Security Committee of Cabinet is expected to decide in the next few weeks whether the ban should be extended to 5G mobile networks. The ABC said it spoke to four "senior Australian officials" who all suggested that Huawei would be denied access.
Huawei rejected suggestions it was doing anything improper. "Huawei doesn't apologise for making people more aware about who we are and what we do," Huawei Australia's director of communications, Jeremy Mitchell said. "The more people who see and experience the world-leading innovation Huawei is delivering, the more people will understand the benefits we bring to Australia."
