Australia was among the firsts to alert USA on Huawei.
From the article:
>>> US aversion to Chinese communications equipment, not just in its own networks but that of its allies, is well established. After banning Huawei equipment from its own networks, the US has pressured others, including Australia, to do the same.
From Bloomberg (nopaywall republished): When a Huawei Bid turned into a Hunt for a Corporate Mole
>>> "Huawei has also consistently faced accusations that its equipment is used for spying. The company vehemently denies this, but there’s countervailing evidence. In 2012, as Bloomberg News reported, Australian officials informed their American counterparts of a sophisticated intrusion involving Huawei’s gear. Hackers from China’s spy services were copying large volumes of data from Australia’s telecommunications systems and sending it to China, according to the Australians. The incident was considered especially damning because the code used in the hack was delivered through Huawei software updates, suggesting that either the company had approved the operation or its technical staff had been infiltrated by intelligence operatives."
>>>"In response to the reporting, Huawei said it was never told by Australian authorities about a breach, but the incident confirmed suspicions at US and Australian intelligence agencies that China’s spies were using Huawei for access into customer networks. The discovery marked the beginning of a concerted diplomatic effort by both countries to slow Huawei’s growth."
Biting the hand that feeds IT
