Telecommunications giant Huawei is "too close" to the Chinese government, making it difficult to trust the company at the heart of an escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing, the US defence chief said Saturday.

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan's comments came amid a wave of controversy over the Chinese firm, which has been hit by allegations of espionage and faces a US ban.

"The integration of civilian businesses with the military is too close. China has national policies and laws where data is required to be shared," Shanahan told a defence and security conference in Singapore.

"When I look at that situation, it's too much risk... You can't trust those networks are going to be protected."

The US Commerce Department last month placed Huawei on an "entity list" on grounds of national security, a move that curbs its access to US-made components it needs for its equipment. A 90-day reprieve was later issued.

A number of countries have also blocked Huawei from working on their mobile networks and companies have stepped back from the firm following the US ban, citing legal requirements.

Concerns about Huawei have escalated as the company has risen to become the world leader in telecom networking equipment and one of the top smartphone manufacturers alongside Samsung and Apple.

The US has long voiced suspicions that Huawei is controlled by the Chinese government and thus a global security threat -- charges strongly denied by the firm and Beijing.

Founder Ren Zhengfei is a former soldier in China's People's Liberation Army.

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Family who helped Snowden asks Canada for asylum
Montreal (AFP) May 29, 2019
A lawyer for a family who sheltered fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden asked Canada on Wednesday to take them in as refugees, saying they were being persecuted in Hong Kong. Guillaume Cliche-Rivard of the non-governmental group For the Refugees, which in March sponsored two other Snowden "Guardian Angels," Philippine national Vanessa Rodel and her seven-year-old daughter Keana, made the plea on "humanitarian grounds" at a press conference. He noted growing concerns about civil rights ... read more