Huawei not threat to Britain’s security: Chinese envoy

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA

A Chinese envoy on Monday asserted that its telecommunication giant Huawei “did not pose any threat” to any country, criticizing a “groundless” campaign against it, says media reports.

According to China’s official news agency Xinhua, Liu Xiaoming, envoy to U.K., wrote a piece in London-based daily The Telegraph, noting the “needless anxiety” over and “a ban in some countries” on companies such as Huawei.

“If left unchecked, they could disrupt market rules, undermine company confidence, poison business cooperation, and cause uncertainties and instabilities in the world economy,” Liu said.

“Don't listen to the scaremongers. Huawei is not a security threat to Britain."

The U.S., France and other western nations have voiced fears that using Huawei base stations and other gear could give Beijing access to critical network infrastructure worldwide, possibly allowing it to spy on foreign governments.

Last December, Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested while changing planes in Canada at the request of the U.S. over the fraud charges for illegally doing business with Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.

In a bid to assuage the row over Huawei, China’s envoy to EU Zhang Ming said: “It is not helpful to make slander, discrimination, pressure, coercion or speculation against anyone else.”

In Beijing, the state media lambasted the sacking of John McCallum, Canada’s ambassador to China.

Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau called back his ambassador to Beijing after McCallum suggested that it would be “great” for Ottawa to release Wanzhou.

of Chinese government Global Times wrote: “The resignation, at the request of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reveals political interference.”

The China Daily said: “McCallum was merely stating the truth when he observed that Meng has a strong case against extradition, which he rightly said was politically motivated.”