Huawei looks to learn from US amid security concerns

Huawei, the Chinese communication company accused by the United States Congress of posing a security risk, said Tuesday it needed to learn from the “great country” as it tries to grow its US business.
Washington has long seen Huawei as a security threat due to perceived close links to the Chinese government, which it denies, while the United States and Australia have barred it from involvement in broadband projects over espionage fears. Huawei denies such allegations vigorously.
The firm released unaudited 2014 figures Tuesday showing that its revenue likely increased by 20 percent to 287 billion yuan ($46.3 billion), with operating profit probably up 17 percent to 33.9 billion yuan.
"For the traditional carrier business in the US market we are influenced by the industry cyclical change and the US government restrictions," chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou said at a press briefing in Beijing.
"We will also keep learning from this great nation so our company can be more open and more innovative."
The Shenzhen-based firm was founded in 1987 by former People's Liberation Army engineer Ren Zhengfei, and is now among the world's top makers of telecommunications equipment.
It operates in 170 countries and the company says one third of the world's population communicate using its products in some way.
It is the world's second largest network gear supplier behind Sweden's Ericsson, and  has made a large push into consumer products such smartphones in recent years.
Research firm Strategy Analytics ranked Huawei as the world's number five smartphone maker by shipments in the third quarter last year, with a 5.1 percent market share.
The consumer business was the biggest contributor to revenue growth, Huawei said, with its turnover rising 32 percent from a year earlier.
Huawei has also boosted spending in research and development in several areas, Meng said, without citing specific businesses.