TELECOM equipment maker Huawei Technologies refuted Australian claims it poses a security risk, calling the criticism “ill-informed” in an open letter.

Australia is likely to ban Huawei from participating in a 5G mobile telecom rollout in the nation as it fears the company is de facto controlled by the Chinese Government and sensitive infrastructure will fall into the hands of China, according to Australian media reports.

Huawei denies the allegations Monday, and dismissed Canberra’s security concerns.

“Recent public commentary around China has referenced Huawei and its role in Australia and prompted some observations around security concerns,” Huawei Australia chairman John Lord and board directors John Brumby and Lance Hockridge wrote in the unprecedented letter.

“Many of these comments are ill-informed and not based on facts.”

Australia has longstanding concerns about Shenzhen-based Huawei, the world’s largest maker of telecom network equipment and the No. 3 smartphone supplier. In 2012 it banned the company from supplying its massive National Broadband Network, and in May Canberra committed millions of dollars to ensure Huawei did not build an Internet cable between Australia and the Solomon Islands.

Huawei said in the letter it operates in 170 countries, abiding by national laws and guidelines. Citing 5G investments in Britain, Canada and New Zealand, the company said those governments had taken up its offer to evaluate the company’s technology to make sure it abided by cybersecurity protocols.(SD-Agencies)