(ConservativeStar.com) – The US, Asia, and Europe recently halted business and relations with Russia over President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade neighboring Ukraine. However, China’s President Xi Jinping is teaming up with the Kremlin to help shield the country from cyberattacks. At the heart of these efforts stands Huawei, a company with a history of privacy scandals on US and Canadian soil.
Huawei
Huawei, a multinational technology corporation, originates in Shenzhen, China, and maintains five separate analysis centers in Russia. It reportedly rushed to the aid of the Kremlin when cyberattacks threatened to compromise Putin’s network-based war efforts.
The tech company previously emphasized that it’s separate from the Chinese government and other countries had no reason for concern when working with their network. But is this true, and can they be trusted?
CNBC contacted nine different technology companies from China, including Huawei, to ask about their ties with Russia. The news outlet claims all either refused to comment or didn’t respond — except for one. Other global leaders in the industry, including Apple, Nike, and Google, outwardly denounced Russia or made efforts to back out of the Russian market.
The US first placed strict sanctions on Huawei in 2017 due to national security concerns. Officials worried that allowing the China-based company to provide a 5G network to large regions would grant it too much control and access to private data. The government ramped up those sanctions in 2019, citing concerns about Chinese state interference and the potential for backdoor surveillance opportunities.
Australia’s Perspective
Australia’s Defense Minister Peter Dutton expressed concern that Putin and Jinping had created an “unholy alliance” back in February. He also said Xi was the only world leader who could effectively put pressure on Vladimir Putin.
Australia banned Huawei from providing 5G network access in 2018. Dutton is a firm believer in protecting his country from possible security risks introduced by Chinese technological companies.
Dutton also believes Beijing could assist in ending the war if it joined in the global push to condemn Russia. He allegedly released evidence of Huawei’s involvement with Putin’s efforts shortly afterward. However, the fact that Chinese tech firms remain silent during the invasion of Ukraine may itself prove that they’re directly involved in aiding Russia.
The US and certain European countries have collectively slapped sanctions on Russia by specifically targeting financial institutions. In response, the Russian Ruble’s value plunged by almost 30% against the dollar. Shares from one of the country’s biggest lenders, Sberbank, have also collapsed due to the global crackdown. Chinese corporations could face more restrictions if China’s involvement with the Russian war effort becomes even more apparent.
Copyright 2022, ConservativeStar.com