Huawei–African Union Controversy (2018)
The Huawei–African Union controversy of 2018 centers around allegations of espionage linked to the African Union's headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which was built with funding from the Chinese government and equipped largely by Huawei, a leading Chinese telecommunications firm. In January 2018, a report by the French newspaper Le Monde claimed that the AU's computer systems had been compromised, with data being transmitted daily to servers in Shanghai over a period of five years. This led to suspicions regarding Huawei's potential involvement in facilitating government surveillance, despite denials from both the company and Chinese officials. The incident sparked broader concerns about Huawei's role in global telecommunications, particularly in relation to national security and espionage allegations fueled by China's 2017 National Intelligence Law. Following the report, the African Union sought to enhance its data security, while several countries, including the USA, Australia, and New Zealand, enacted bans on Huawei equipment in government and infrastructure projects. The controversy also coincided with the arrest of Huawei's CFO, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada on charges related to sanctions violations, intensifying scrutiny of the company. As of now, no direct evidence has definitively proven Huawei's complicity in espionage activities.
Huawei–African Union Controversy (2018)
Date: 2012–17
Place: Worldwide
Summary
The Huawei–African Union controversy of 2018 involved a report of a large-scale data breach at the Chinese-built African Union headquarters complex in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The building’s information and communications technology systems had been largely supplied by the Chinese technology firm Huawei, a pioneer in 5G mobile internet technology, and despite strong denials by Huawei and the Chinese government, the incident fed into a growing narrative around the world that the company is complicit in Chinese government espionage activities.
Key Events
- January 26, 2018—The French newspaper Le Monde reports that the Chinese government, utilizing Huawei equipment, had been spying on the African Union for at least five years.
- August 2018—US National Defense Authorization Act includes a ban on US government agencies from using technology produced by Huawei and another Chinese company, ZTE.
- January 15, 2019—Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei denies all reports of spying for the Chinese government.
Status
As of 2019, there remains no direct evidence to prove that Chinese telecommunications company Huawei has conducted any espionage operations on behalf of the Chinese government. In January 2019, the United States formally charged Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in 2018 in Canada, with fraud charges linked to breaking US sanctions on Iran. The administration of US president Donald Trump was still considering a full ban of the company’s superfast 5G technology, and other countries, such as Australia, have already committed to such bans. In April 2019, Senators Tom Cotton and John Cornyn, both Republican members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, published an editorial in the Washington Post citing the African Union breach and urging US allies not to use Huawei products in their upcoming buildout of the new 5G network, suggesting that to do so would be to “let in the Trojan horse.”
In-Depth Overview
In 2006, in recognition of the deepening trade and diplomatic links between China and Africa, the Chinese government agreed to fund and construct a new headquarters complex for the African Union (AU), a coalition of fifty-five countries, in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. The cost of the building was reportedly $200 million and it opened for operations in 2012.
In January 2018, the French newspaper Le Monde reported that the complex’s computer system had been hacked such that, over a period of five years (1,825 days), all data from AU servers had been transferred each day directly to servers in Shanghai, China. According to Le Monde, the data theft was first detected in 2017 by a computer scientist working for the AU who discovered an unusual amount of computer activity each night between midnight and 2:00 a.m., when the offices were unoccupied. Le Monde reported further that microphones had been discovered in the walls and desks of the building.
The Chinese government quickly released a statement denying reports of spying activity, with Chinese ambassador to the AU Kuang Weilin characterizing the claims as “absurd.” AU representatives also questioned the veracity of the report and claimed there was no evidence that the Chinese government had been stealing AU data. However, the AU also expedited a rapid shift to a new, encrypted data and communications system. The story in Le Monde was subsequently confirmed by other media outlets, including the Financial Times.
Because the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei provided almost all of the information and communications technology for the AU headquarters, it was quickly implicated in the alleged spying campaign, though no evidence was presented that directly showed the company’s involvement. Huawei denied claims that it had been asked to enable spying for the Chinese government, and no evidence has since been presented further implicating the company. However, observers have pointed to China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which states that “all organizations and citizens shall, in accordance with the law, support, cooperate with, and collaborate in national intelligence work, and guard the secrecy of national intelligence work they are aware of.” The belief that Huawei is obligated to aid the government with operations that might include data theft or espionage has fueled suspicions of the company among US legislators and members of the intelligence community.
In February 2018, six US intelligence agency heads testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee recommended against Americans using telecommunications or smartphone equipment from Huawei or another Chinese telecom company, ZTE, because of concerns about the influence of the Chinese government over Chinese technology companies. In August 2018, the US passed a law prohibiting government agencies from purchasing or utilizing communications or surveillance equipment from a number of Chinese companies, including Huawei and ZTE. Three other countries, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand, have banned Huawei from participating in national projects to develop the upcoming lightning-fast 5G mobile network. The United States has also accused Huawei of involvement in attempts to steal US trade secrets.
Another company controversy began in November 2018, when Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada at the request of the United States on charges of violating international sanctions against conducting business with Iran.
Key Figures
Meng Wanzhou: Huawei CFO and daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei.
Ren Zhengfei: Huawei founder and CEO.
Bibliography
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Cilluffo, F. J., & Cardash, S. L. (2019, January 29). What’s wrong with Huawei, and why are countries banning the Chinese telecommunications firm? The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/whats-wrong-with-huawei-and-why-are-countries-banning-the-chinese-telecommunications-firm-109036
Cotton, T., & Cornyn, J. (2019, April 1). Keep the Chinese government away from 5G technology. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/keep-the-chinese-government-away-from-5g-technology/2019/04/01/ba7a30ac-54b3-11e9-9136-f8e636f1f6df‗story.html
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