‘This is not how China behaves’

China’s No. 2 leader has sought to defuse tensions with Washington and Europe over technology and other issues by promising to treat foreign and domestic competitors equally.

Speaking at the end of China’s 10-day annual legislative session, Premier Li Keqiang also denied Friday, March 15, that Beijing tells companies to spy on their overseas competitors.

Li’s rejection of spying accusations at a news conference was the communist government’s highest-level effort so far to put to rest concerns that threaten Chinese access to lucrative markets for telecom and other technology.

“This is not how China behaves. We did not do that and will not do that in the future,” the premier said when asked whether Beijing told Chinese companies to spy on foreign countries.

The United States, Australia and some other governments have imposed curbs on use of technology from Chinese vendors including Huawei Technologies Ltd. Washington is lobbying European and other allies to shun Huawei as their phone carriers prepare to invest billions of dollars in next-generation technology.

Huawei, the biggest global maker of network gear, has denied accusations it facilitates Chinese spying. Its founder has told reporters he would reject official requests to disclose customer secrets.