Political noise blocks Huawei's chances in US

• Source: Global Times
• [22:22 September 01 2010]
• Comments

If Huawei or any other foreign company becomes critical to the supply chain of the US military, law enforcement and private sector, it's because there are very few US suppliers left. Perhaps the senators can remember that US politicians, financiers and corporate executives made a conscious economic decision to move US manufacturing to China over the last 20 years.

This created the supply chains and volume efficiencies in southern China that enabled Huawei to become a global supplier of equipment so quickly.

The US senators should also consider that Huawei engineers will remain in Iraq and Afghanistan when the US departs. It might be worthwhile to include Huawei in discussions, and treat them as potential partners, and dare I say, even allies.

Huawei is a commercial company reportedly with connections to the PLA. It would be more surprising if it wasn't. This makes it no different than other technology companies in the US, Asia and Europe that supply their national defense communications systems.

International safeguards are long established where security is necessary. Huawei should have open access to the US network.

The author is the managing director of Revenue Growth International Ltd. He was the US State Department senior consultant to the minister of communications in Iraq from 2006 to 2008. BobFonow@rgiltd.com