Beijing (AFP)
Chinese telecom giant Huawei employees have collaborated with the Chinese military on research projects, contrary to what the company claims, suspected of espionage by the United States, according to documents consulted Thursday by AFP .
Studies published since 2009 show that these employees have worked with researchers belonging to various components of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), AFP found by consulting these works available online.
The studies specify the names of the researchers as well as the name of the Huawei department that employs them.
A Shanghai-based employee worked for APL Unit 78156 on a computer security program, which also included a Central Military Commission (CMC) technology center, the head of the Chinese military. , currently led by President Xi Jinping himself.
The Bloomberg agency, which first reported on this joint research, estimates that they focused on at least 10 different projects.
The content of these programs ranged from artificial intelligence to radio communications, to satellite image analysis, according to Bloomberg.
In an email to AFP, Huawei denied "any collaboration or partnership with institutions affiliated to the PLA".
"Huawei is not aware of scientific articles published by employees in a personal capacity," however, said the Chinese group.
"Huawei designs and manufactures only communication products that comply with international civil standards and we do not adapt our research and development products for the armed forces," he said.
The United States, engaged in a technological battle against the company, accuse it of having links with the army, because of the passage in its ranks of its CEO and founder Ren Zhengfei, at the very beginning of his career. 'engineer.
The latter denied in January any collaboration with the military but recognized that Huawei "may sell some civilian products to the PLA". "I do not know the exact number because it's not a big client," he observed in front of the press.
The company is in the sights of US President Donald Trump, who said he feared that his telecom equipment could be used by Beijing to spy.
The United States has excluded Huawei from the deployment of 5G on their soil and prohibits the purchase of its products and services.
Washington also blocked the group's access to US technology in May. A blow for the company, which depends for its smartphones operating system of Google, Android, as well as electronic chips "made in the USA".
? 2019 AFP