ZTE and Huawei had some of the worst time in the history during 2018, thanks to the bans and restrictions from the United States Government. It seems the bad times are not over yet. According to sources cited by Reuters, the Japanese government is planning to remove ZTE and Huawei from government contracts. If it’s true, the devices from these two companies would not be used for government needs.
Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp, both of which are headquartered in China, are being scrutinized so that the Japanese government can ensure the best protection from cyber attacks and leaks of sensitive data that may have an impact on national security. It seems the Japanese government is taking the measures with the same intentions that the US counterparts had.
Chinese tech companies, including the bigger ones like ZTE and Huawei, had been under proper surveillance by Washington for the past years. It was based on the potential fear that the Chinese government may be using these devices for spying purposes. The US had stopped using devices from Huawei and ZTE for government needs a long while back. Of course, the confirmation is yet to surface.
According to a Japanese newspaper that had shared the details, the internal policies of Japan will be going through some revision on Monday, during which the decision to filter out ZTE and Huawei will be confirmed by the government. According to a person who has internal sources, the government is not looking towards a specific removal of companies but rather the strengthening of security measures.
The Japanese want to make sure that the Chinese government cannot use these devices to spy on the prominent members of the government or contractors. Neither ZTE nor Huawei has commented on the topic, but it’s clear that the decision if approved, would be another blow for the Chinese firms.
