Japan bans Huawei, ZTE

JAPAN is reportedly set to effectively ban government purchases of telecommunications products from China’s Huawei and ZTE over fears of intelligence leaks and cyber attacks.

The government is expected to revise its internal rules on procurement as early as Monday, the Yomiuri newspaper reported yesterday. Japan is unlikely to name the two companies, to avoid aggravating China, but Huawei and ZTE are to be subject to the ban, the report said, citing a government source.

The report follows a decision by the US this year to ban government purchases of Huawei gear. Australia and New Zealand have also blocked Huawei from building 5G networks.