CIA Says The Chinese State Security Funded Huawei

Though the US has tried more than once in preventing countries from utilizing Huawei technology, it has yet to reveal what it is worried about publicly.

A source disclosed to The Times that the CIA had informed UK intelligence officials how Huawei was receiving fund from Chinese state security which includes the National Security Commission, the People’s Liberation Army, and China’s state intelligence network. The source stated that the UK, as well as other countries in the Five Eyes (New Zealand, Canada, and Australia), received this information from the CIA earlier in 2019.

In a statement sent to The Times, a spokesperson of Huawei declined to give any comment, saying the claims were unsubstantiated allegations that weren't backed up by any evidence from anonymous sources.

This cautious attitude of countries over the company's technology has been backed by several reasons. A UK oversight board addressed potential security risks in the equipment of Huawei, which include an old operating system leading to the loss of security updates.

However, there has been no direct evidence substantiating that the Chinese firm was actively installing spying facilities and back doors in its equipment. Most of the accusations against the company have been on trade secret theft and sanctions violation.

The assertions of CIA if proved do not suggest that the Chinese firm is spying, rather they would demonstrate that the Chinese intelligence outlets were giving Huawei some direction.

But the US allies might not be swayed to issue a total ban. Both the UK and Germany have still been fine with the idea of building their 5G networks by utilizing Huawei networking gear even if this means they might need to set up systems to lessen the chance of security risks.

If American intelligence wants to convince its closest allies to outright reject Huawei, direct evidence of China’s surveillance might be needed.