Australia’s Federal Government has banned Chinese vendor Huawei from bidding in any tenders for the supply of equipment for the National Broadband Network (NBN), according to the Australian Financial Review. It is understood that the decision was made in light of concerns regarding the potential of cyber-attacks being launched from China. Huawei, meanwhile, is reportedly fighting the ban, both publically and via diplomatic channels, with sources at the vendor cited as claiming that the Chinese government could retaliate if the ban on the company participating in tenders is not lifted.
The Australian government, however, has seemingly remained unmoved regarding its position on the matter, with a spokeswoman cited as saying: ‘As a strategic and significant government investment, we have a responsibility to do our utmost to protect [the NBN’s] integrity and that of the information carried on it … This is consistent with the government’s practice for ensuring the security and resilience of Australia’s critical infrastructure more broadly.’