Mythbusters

Myth 1: We get cheap loans or lines of credit from Chinese banks.

Wrong, in fact 80% of every dollar of our financing comes from non-Chinese global banks.

Myth 2: We have a communist party cell that runs Huawei.

Yes, there is a communist party branch in Huawei, as there is one in Walmart, Nokia, Samsung and presumably the BHPs, Rio Tintos and any other large company operating in China; it’s the law. In fact, three out of four foreign joint ventures in China have a branch. But that branch has no say in our operations. It meets in non-working hours and looks after staff social issues and activities. It has nothing to do with the management of the company and is run by a retired employee of the company.

Myth 3: Under Chinese National Intelligence Law, Huawei has to cooperate and collaborate in intelligence work.

The law actually contains safeguards that discharge individuals and organisations from providing support that would contradict their legitimate rights and interests. And that law has no legitimacy outside China. We obey the laws of every country in which we operate. To do otherwise would be corporate suicide.

Myth 4: The UK Government regrets having Huawei in the UK.

George Osborne, then UK Chancellor, best summed it up when he said: “There are some Western Governments that blocked Huawei from making investments; not Britain, quite the opposite.” And, more recently, the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Centre’s “on the record” support for Huawei led to the headline “UK cyber security agency sticks with China’s Huawei…” in the Daily Telegraph.

Myth 5: Huawei is asking to do something in Europe which China won’t allow foreign companies to do in China.

False. Nokia and Ericsson are both undertaking 5G work in China. In 2018 for instance, Nokia won a big contract with China Mobile for 13 city metro & 2 provincial backbone networks which will form part of China Mobile’s 5G build.