Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei Technologies said it has delivered products that meet the highest security, privacy and engineering standards in the industry, in response to recent reports about a U.S. major retailer suspending the sale of its products.
"Our products are sold by 46 of the top 50 global operators, and we have won the trust and confidence of individuals and organizations in 170 countries and regions around the world," the company said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Thursday. "We are committed to earning that same trust with U.S. consumers and making our products accessible in as many ways as possible."
Best Buy will stop selling Huawei's devices over the next few weeks, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing a person with knowledge of the matter.
The Best Buy move, after similar actions from U.S. carriers including AT&T Inc, comes as U.S. scrutiny of Chinese technology companies grows amid tensions over U.S.-China trade and concerns of security, according to Reuters.
Huawei currently sells its products through a range of leading consumer electronics retailers in the U.S., the company said. Those products are certified by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for sale.
The Chinese company has been encountering increasing challenges in overseas market due to security concerns. As a major provider of wireless infrastructure and communications devices, Huawei is now facing government-related scrutiny in Australia, Canada and South Korea, as the company's products and services are considered a national security risk, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Tuesday.
"There's nothing Huawei can do [to clear the air]." Xiang Ligang, a telecom observer, told the Global Times on Thursday. "It's not a business-related issue anymore, it's about politicizing the matter," he said.
Huawei, along with another Chinese telecommunication equipment provider ZTE Corp, have been working in the U.S. market for more than a decade but cautiously as they faced "so-called security issues," Xiang noted.
"But U.S. authorities have not provided any concrete evidence showing that the Chinese company poses a security threat," he said.
Besides the U.S., Australia recently pressured the Solomon Islands to drop Huawei as the contractor on an undersea cable connecting the South Pacific nation with Australia, the WSJ reported.
Huawei and ZTE are leading the global telecommunication equipment market, and they will continue to focus on enhancing business ties with other carriers and companies without being entangled in "any political fight," Xiang noted.
"It's unlikely that they will give up the U.S. market as long as business opportunities exist."
