US senators asks administration to look into Sprint-Huawei deal

“Sprint Nextel supplies important equipment to the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies, and it offers a broad array of devices, systems, software and services to the private sector.

We are concerned that Huawei’s position as a supplier of Sprint Nextel could create substantial risk for U.S. companies and possibly undermine U.S. national security,” reads the letter by the group of senators including, Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Kyl of Arizona, Christopher S. Bond of Missouri.

The group wants the administration to intervene on time and block Huawei as it has links with Chinese military and is also known for selling equipments to Iran during Saddam Hussein’s regime and to Taliban in Afghanistan.

The rumored Sprint-Huawei equipment deal was first reported by the Financial Times some six weeks ago.

China's military contacts most troubling
In the letter group not just stated concerns over Huawei’s alleged dealings with Iran and Taliban in the past but also raised concerns over its relationship with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).

“Sprint Nextel supplies important equipment to the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies, and it offers a broad array of devices, systems, software and services to the private sector,” wrote group of US senators.

Group mentioned that this relation with PLA is "most troubling," as company’s founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei had served as a PLA officer.

"At worst, Huawei's becoming a major supplier of Sprint Nextel could present a case of a company, acting at the direction of and funded by the Chinese military, talking a critical place in the supply chain of the US military, law enforcement, and private sector,” states the letter.

The letter also claimed that intelligence agencies of France, Australia, British and India too have expressed concern over Huawei’s products and they too believe that company’s products can facilitate remote hacking.

Huawei reacts
Shenzhen-based Huawei Inc., immediately after the news of senators opposing the deal, released a statement Friday that neither Chinese military nor government has control over company matters.

The company spokesman, Ross Gan, also defended company against past allegations of infringing intellectual property rights of U.S. companies.

Commenting on the latest development he said, “Huawei is disappointed to learn that old mischaracterizations about the company still linger.”

Even Chinese Embassy in Washington, came out in Huawei’s defense and released a statement stating Huawei is a privately owned company that intends to do business in the United States.

“We hope that some people in the U.S. will take a rational approach toward these normal commercial activities rather than do anything to stand in the way by abusing national security concerns,” said spokesman for Embassy Wang Baodong.