(Yicai Global) Nov. 30 -- Huawei Technologies is asking New Zealand's government to clarify why Spark New Zealand, the country's largest network operator, has been denied access to the Chinese company's equipment to build the fifth-generation of wireless technology. 

"Huawei is seeking an urgent meeting with the relevant ministers and officials to understand the government's position and get clarification of the process from here," Andrew Bowater, the deputy managing director of Huawei's New Zealand unit, said in an emailed statement to Reuters yesterday.

The Government Communications Security Bureau rejected the operator's procurement plan, claiming that using Huawei's 5G equipment would "raise significant national security risks," the Auckland-based company told Financial Times on Nov. 28.

New Zealand did not give any evidence of how Huawei has done something wrong, while the Shenzhen-based firm rejected the idea that it threatens local businesses "in any way," Bowater added. 

China expresses deep concern on the issue and "hopes New Zealand will ensure fair competition for Chinese companies in the country and promote mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries," Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, said on Nov. 28.

Australia denied Chinese suppliers to enter the country's telecom equipment market for similar reasons in August, the Financial Times report added. The UK warned its firms earlier this month to choose their component suppliers carefully when developing 5G.

Editor: Emmi Laine