The Australian government has banned Huawei and ZTE from taking part in the roll-out of 5G networks in the country due to national security concerns. The decision is based on rules disqualifying any company that was "likely subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law", reports ABC from a government statement.
Huawei was already banned from involvement in the National Broadband Network in 2012. The Chinese company has denied it poses a national security risk, noting that it's "securely delivered wireless technology in Australia for close to 15 years". On Twitter, Huawei Australia said it was "extremely disappointed" with the government's decision.
Acting Home Affairs Minister Scott Morrison and Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said in a statement that any vendors that could not adequately protect the network from interference would be ruled out. The statement did not explicitly name Huawei, but the tech company confirmed on Twitter it had been told by the government it would be banned, along with ZTE.
The decision is based on the Telecommunications Sector Security Reforms (TSSR), which come into effect on 18 September, and include a security obligation requiring vendors to protect their networks against threats to national security. These follow an intelligence law passed in China last year that demands "any organisation or citizen shall support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work". This means Chinese suppliers could be subject to "extrajudicial directions", outside Australia's interests.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang expressed "serious concern" about Australia's decision, saying the company should not "use various excuses to artificially erect barriers". He called on the Australian government "to abandon ideological prejudices and provide a fair competitive environment for Chinese companies' operations in Australia".
