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| A security guard stands near the Huawei company logo during a product launch in Beijing this month. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Jan. 11 that it was closely following the detention of Wang Weijing for allegedly spying for China. AP |
By Jung Min-ho
Huawei has sacked the Chinese executive arrested on espionage charges in Poland last week, as the Chinese tech giant tries hard to distance itself from the incident.
The move came after Polish authorities arrested Huawei sales director Wang Weijing, also known as Stanislaw Wang, in Warsaw on charges of spying on Poland for Beijing along with a former Polish security official.
The news has deepened international concerns about Huawei, the world's largest telecom equipment manufacturer, which is facing problems amid growing suspicion over its ties to the Chinese government.
Huawei claimed Wang acted alone, saying his actions had no relation to the company.
"Huawei has decided to terminate the employment of Mr. Wang Weijing, who was arrested on suspicion of breaking Polish law," Huawei said in a statement on Saturday.
"In accordance with the terms and conditions of Huawei's labor contract, we have made this decision because the incident in question has brought Huawei into disrepute."
The Chinese government also denied its involvement. A spokesman for China's embassy in Warsaw told Chinese state media that Beijing "attached great importance" to the case and was following it up with the Polish foreign ministry.
Meanwhile, Poland's internal affairs minister, Joachim Brudzinski, said the European Union and NATO should work on whether to exclude Huawei from their markets.
"There are concerns about Huawei within NATO as well. It would make most sense to have a joint stance, among EU member states and NATO members," the minister reportedly said.
Wang, who had worked for Huawei's Polish division since 2011, was an attache to the Chinese General Consul in Gdansk from 2006-2011.
Huawei, founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, a former engineer at the People's Liberation Army, denies that the company has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party or has any intention to design equipment to facilitate eavesdropping.
But many experts say no Chinese company is fully independent of its government, which can legally require companies to assist with gathering intelligence.
