A DAMNING report in the United States has cautioned companies to avoid working with one of Swansea University’s main partners in the second campus project.
The House Intelligence Committee warned that the Chinese company Huawei poses a threat to US security. The report states that after a year-long investigation, the company failed to allay fears about its association with China’s government and military.
“China has the means, opportunity, and motive to use telecommunications companies for malicious purposes,” the report says. “Based on available classified and unclassified information, Huawei [and ZTE] cannot be trusted to be free of foreign state influence and thus pose a security threat to the United States and to our systems.”
Rumours
Huawei denies all claims cited in the report, maintaining that the findings employ “many rumours and speculations to prove non-existent accusations” and that the committee was “committed to a predetermined outcome”.
The Chinese company expanded into the UK in 2011 and is now the largest telecommunications equipment maker in the world.
It is one of a number of technology companies that Swansea University has procured partnerships with. Others include BP, Rolls Royce and Tata Steel.
The university’s website states: “The China Centre has secured multiple research projects in collaboration with China’s top telecom vendor, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Swansea University is the only Higher Education institution that has signed the Master Research & Development Framework agreement with Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd in the UK.”
A university spokesperson refused to comment on the details of the partnership with Huawei, except to say: “Swansea University greatly values its relationship with Huawei. Research partnerships such as this are critical to the university and to the Welsh economy.”
A statement from Huawei said: “[The] UK is a centre of innovation, has a highly skilled workforce, and is respected internationally for the quality of its legal and educational systems. Huawei has been working with a number of universities, including Swansea University, on joint R&D projects.”
Following the release of the report in the US, the UK Government has now also confirmed it is investigating its links with the company.
Security
The Guardian reported that the longstanding commercial relationship between BT and Huawei was being investigated by parliament’s intelligence and security committee and quoted its chairman Sir Malcolm Rifkind as saying the committee was “reviewing the whole presence of Huawei in regard to our critical national infrastructure and whether that should give rise for concern”.
It has also been reported that Canada will invoke a national security clause excluding Huawei from being involved with building a government communications network.
