There have been reports of ban on Chinese vendors in several countries for bidding projects due to espionage concern. In a latest news, Australian Government has banned Huawei from bidding in any tenders for the supply of equipment for the National Broadband Network (NBN). Huawei, meanwhile, is reportedly fighting the ban, both publically and via diplomatic channels, with sources at the vendor cited as claiming that the Chinese government could retaliate if the ban on the company participating in tenders is not lifted.
The Australian government, however, has seemingly remained unmoved regarding its position on the matter, with a spokeswoman cited as saying: ‘As a strategic and significant government investment, we have a responsibility to do our utmost to protect [the NBN’s] integrity and that of the information carried on it … This is consistent with the government’s practice for ensuring the security and resilience of Australia’s critical infrastructure more broadly.’
