Japan to ban govt use of Huawei, ZTE products : report

Japan is to ban government use of telecoms products made by Chinese tech giants Huawei and ZTE on concerns about cybersecurity, reports said yesterday. The government plans to revise internal procurement rules to exclude products made by Huawei and ZTE as early as Monday, the mass circulation Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

Jiji Press agency also reported the expected move. The ban comes after a US request to allies to avoid products made by the two companies over fears they contain viruses used for cyberattacks, the Yomiuri said, citing unnamed government sources. Domestic products that use parts made by the two Chinese firms will also be excluded from government use, it said.

The Yomiuri said the government was not expected to name the companies directly, so as to avoid angering China. Asked about the report, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga declined to comment. China said it was “seriously concerned” about the reports, adding that Huawei and ZTE have been operating legally in Japan for a long time.

“We hope that Japan will provide a level playing field for Chinese companies to operate in Japan,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing. “Do not do anything that would undermine mutual trust and cooperation.”