Huawei staff pair up with Chinese military on research

Huawei employees have teamed up with Chinese military scientists to carry out research, a collaboration that challenges the telecom giant’s assertion that it has no ties to the country’s government or armed forces. Several research papers published since 2009 show Huawei employees have worked with researchers at different arms of the People’s Liberation Army, according to an AFP review of academic papers. Bloomberg News first reported on the collaborations.

Military and private sector collaboration is common in many countries but Huawei has gone to great lengths to deny any close relationship with the Chinese government or military. Microsoft researchers in China for instance raised eyebrows earlier this year for their work with scholars affiliated with a Chinese military-backed university -- researchers from the same university worked with a Huawei employee on at least one project.

Huawei employees and PLA members have worked together on at least 10 research projects including artificial intelligence and radio communications, according to Bloomberg News. Ren has denied Huawei maintains military connections. “We don’t have any R&D collaboration or partnerships with the PLA-affiliated institutions,” Ren told journalists in January, according to a Huawei transcript.