Lawmakers to U.S. companies: Don't buy Huawei, ZTE

Huawei senior vice president Charles Ding testifies before the House Intelligence Committee last month.

(Credit: U.S. House of Representitives; screenshot by Jay Greene/CNET )

The House Intelligence Committee released a report this morning, accusing two Chinese makers of telecommunications gear of posing a national security threat and discouraged American businesses from buying their equipment.

In a 52-page report, the committee said that neither Huawei nor ZTE addressed concerns raised repeatedly by lawmakers over their ability to snoop on American companies or individuals. And neither company was able to convince the committee that they could not be persuaded by the Chinese government to aid its espionage efforts if enlisted to do so.

"Neither company was willing to provide sufficient evidence to ameliorate the Committee's concerns," the committee wrote in its report. "Neither company was forthcoming with detailed information about its formal relationships or regulatory interaction with Chinese authorities. Neither company provided specific details about the precise role of each company's Chinese Communist Party Committee."

Because of that, the committee concluded that American companies should consider buying their telecommunications gear from other companies.

"U.S. network providers and systems developers are strongly encouraged to seek other vendors for their projects," t... [Read more]