Cisco's Chambers downplays danger of trade war over Huawei
The U.S. and China are likely to resolve the conflict over potential security threats from Huawei Technologies' network equipment without a trade war, Cisco Systems chairman and CEO John Chambers said on Tuesday.
A U.S. Congressional report released last month said Huawei products could threaten national security because they are vulnerable to malicious attacks and cyberespionage. The report repeated ongoing allegations that the company has strong ties to the Chinese government. Huawei has defended the security of its products and said it has no government ties, and China's commerce minister reportedly has condemned the report.
Cisco consistently calls Huawei its chief rival, but on a conference call on Tuesday to discuss his company's first-quarter financial results, Chambers downplayed the confrontation. Chambers said the chances of the disagreement leading to a trade war were "very low."
