Huawei CEO rejects espionage rumors

File photo of Ren Zhengfei.

China's telecom equipment giant Huawei Technologies on Thursday dismissed claims that it engages in wire-tapping on behalf of the Chinese government.

"We have never received any request from the Chinese government to conduct wire-tapping on other countries," chief executive Ren Zhengfei told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. [Special coverage]

He compared Huawei's business to making water pipes. "We only care about carrying water. All we make is the iron sheet of that pipe. Economically speaking, there is no benefit from espionage."

Ren said that as a Chinese company, Huawei will definitely support the Communist Party of China and the government, but stressed that it will not compromise the interest of any other country. "We comply with the laws and regulations in every country we do business in," he said.

The chief executive added that British regulators have decided that Huawei's products are too crude to facilitate spying.

The United States has long described Huawei as a security threat and repeatedly stymied its attempt to enter its market. It accused Huawei of having special relations with the Chinese government and designedly placing backdoors in its products.

Analysts said the US act was an excuse for trade protectionism. The Chinese government has called on the U.S. government to respect the truth and overcome biases so as to boost bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Established in 1988, Huawei operates in 170 countries and is the world's second-largest network equipment supplier behind Sweden's Ericsson.