Huawei barred from US emergency network

Chinese telecommunications equipment vendor Huawei is demanding an explanation from the US government after it was excluded from participating in the construction of a nationwide emergency network.

The US department of commerce told Huawei last week that it would be barred from the project, a wireless network for use by police officers, firefighters and emergency workers, due to 'national security concerns'.

William Plummer, Huawei's US spokesperson, says in a statement the company needs to know which government body is responsible for the denial.

"Notwithstanding that it is an ill-founded, ungrounded determination," Plummer says, "it could have a chilling effect on our greater US business activities."

This isn't the first time Huawei's US activities have been hindered by government intervention; analysts suggest authorities in the US are concerned about ties between the company and the Chinese government. 

Plummer says Huawei has repeatedly asserted its corporate independence. 

"Playing Huawei as a pawn in some geopolitical game of chess is doing nothing more than threatening US jobs, investment, competition and innovation," Plummer says.