Huawei slams critics | The Australian

as was posted here ... Huawei slams critics | The Australian

CHINA'S leading telecommunications equipment maker, Huawei, has once again been forced to dismiss spying allegations and stake its claim in the $43 billion national broadband network bonanza.

Huawei has faced major challenges doing business in some parts of the world due to its close links with the Chinese government. The fact that its founder, Ren Zhengfei, was a People's Liberation Army officer also complicated some situations.

But Huawei has managed to overcome the odds and today ranks as one of the world's largest players in its field.

On Monday a company official's seemingly benign comments managed to raise the ire of The Australian readers online.

Huawei regional chief technology officer Paul Scanlan said the company backed the NBN model proposed by the government as it would drive competition in the local telecoms industry and raise productivity levels.

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"Huawei fully supports the government's decision for an open wholesale access network,'' Mr Scanlan told AAP.

Most readers were against the company's involvement in the NBN due to its close ties with the Asian nation's communist regime. It was also called to account on spying claims.

In September The Australian reported that ASIO was investigating whether Huawei Australia had employed technicians with direct ties to the PLA.

Huawei employees in Sydney and Melbourne had approached ASIO to voice their concerns.

The company denied it was being investigated nor linked to the Chinese military or the Chinese government.

The same line was repeated today, with Huawei spokesman Jeremy Mitchell stressing the company's performance and quality products instead of unfounded claims.

Mr Mitchell said Huawei booked worldwide sales worth over $US30bn ($32.8bn) in 2009.

It has partnerships with 36 of the world's top 50 telcos, he said.

"We have just recorded the largest LTE (long term evolution) contract in Europe and recorded double digit growth in the US.

"Huawei has been in Australia for over four years (and) 73 per cent of our staff (are) locals.

"Seventy per cent of revenue comes from outside of China and no, it isn't government- owned, its largest shareholder owns less then 2 per cent of the company and the rest is employee-owned," Mr Mitchell said.

Mr Zhengfei owns around 1.7 per cent of Huawei.

The company is involved in NBN rollouts in Britain, Malaysia and Singapore which Mr Mitchell said pointed to Huawei's success with large-scale government projects. It hopes to play a key role in Australia's broadband project.

"There is one simple truth, you don't get the global partnerships and continued sales growth across Europe, America, Asia-Pacific without delivering first class products and service as well as a continued demonstration of real R&D leadership," he said.

"Huawei currently ranks number one for the number of patent applications with the World Intellectual Property Organisation."