The Italian Industry Ministry on Thursday denied a newspaper report that it planned to ban China’s Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp from participating in the rollout of its 5G infrastructure.
“We have no intention of adopting any such initiatives,’’ the ministry said in a statement.
It added that national security was a priority and that it would re-evaluate the situation if any critical issue emerge.
Huawei faces international scrutiny over its ties with the Chinese government and suspicion Beijing could use its technology for spying, something the company has denied.
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At the time of its establishment, Huawei focused on manufacturing phone switches, however, it has since expanded to building telecommunications networks.
It also included providing operational and consulting services as well as equipment to enterprises inside and outside of China and manufacturing communications devices for the consumer market.
Huawei had over 170,000 employees as of September 2017, around 76,000 of them engaged in research and development (R&D).
It has 21 R&D institutes in countries including China, the U.S, Canada, the UK, Pakistan, Finland, France, Belgium, Germany, Colombia, Sweden, Ireland, India, Russia, Israel and Turkey.
As of 2017, the company invested $13.8 billion in R&D, up from $5 billion in 2013. (NAN)