Huawei Technologies employees worked on at least 10 research projects with Chinese armed forces personnel over the past decade, Bloomberg reported.
Huawei workers teamed up with members of various organs of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in projects spanning artificial intelligence to radio communications, the report said on Thursday.
Huawei said it is not aware of its employees publishing research papers in their individual capacity. The world’s largest telecom network company said it does not have any research and development collaboration or partnerships with PLA-affiliated institutions.
Huawei spokesman Joe Kelly said: “Huawei only develops and produces communications products that conform to civil standards worldwide, and does not customise R&D products for the military.”
Huawei has come under mounting scrutiny for over a year, led by U.S. allegations that back doors in its routers, switches and other gear could allow China to spy on U.S. communications.
The company has denied its products pose a security threat.
The U.S. government last month banned its agencies from buying Huawei telecom equipment and put severe restrictions on U.S. companies doing business with Huawei.
The research projects are part of a few publicly disclosed studies, Bloomberg said, adding it culled the papers from published periodicals and online research databases used mainly by Chinese academics and industry specialists.
The development assumes significance because India government is considering allowing all telecom equipment makers including Huawei, Ericsson, Samsung, Nokia and ZTE for conducting 5G trails in the country.
