Chinese vendor ZTE has hit back amidst allegations from the US government that they pose a serious threat to national security. A number of prominent Republican politicians and leading spy experts have expressed their concern over the influence of Chinese technology companies in the US.
Republican senators Tom Cotton and Marco Rubio introduced legislation which aims to prohibit the US government from buying or leasing any telecommunication equipment made by either Huawei or ZTE over security concerns. The pretense behind all of this is that China is trying to gain access to US technologies and intellectual properties through telecommunications.
There was also widespread speculation that the US government was considering the possibility of nationalizing 5G in another measure to protect itself from China. However, ZTE has moved to address the allegations being labelled towards them and stated that it remains a trusted partner for customers in the US before declaring it takes cybersecurity very seriously.
A representative of ZTE totally refuted the allegations being made by the US government and told Chinese state news agency Xinhua that the Chinese vendor is proud of the innovation and security of its vast array of products available in the US.
The spokesperson said, “ZTE is proud of the innovation and security of our products in the US market. We prioritize cybersecurity and privacy and have always obeyed the law. As a publicly traded company, we are committed to adhering to all applicable laws and regulations of the US, work with carriers to pass strict testing protocols and adhere to the highest business standards.”
AT&T and Verizon both scrapped plans to sell Huawei’s Mate 10 Pro Device at the 11th hour; it was claimed both companies did so after coming under intense pressure from regulatory authorities and the US government.
Huawei also angrily denied the slurs against its company and reiterated that it will continue to invest and make a push in the US with its devices. In addition to this, it has also emerged that ZTE plans on introducing a smartphone which is capable of delivering 5G network services in the US by early 2019.
However, it’s not the first time the US has directed spying allegations towards the Chinese vendors. In 2012, the US initiated an investigation into whether or not their equipment was capable of being utilized for espionage purposes or if it represented a threat to US infrastructure and security.
Both companies have always strenuously denied the claims. ZTE was notably hit with a whopping $1 billion fine in 2017 by the US Commerce Department for breaching US trade sanctions in Iran.
