Chinese telecommunications company Huawei allegedly helped North Korea develop its commercial wireless network, the Washington Post reported Monday.
Citing internal documents and conversations with people familiar with the matter, the newspaper revealed that Huawei partnered with Panda International Information Technology Co. Ltd., a Chinese state-owned firm. The two companies worked together on several projects stretching over eight years, but it remains unclear what role Huawei held during that period.
The Post revealed it obtained work orders, contracts and spreadsheets to outline the tech giant’s business activities in North Korea. The spreadsheets were allegedly provided by a former Huawei employee who “considered the information to be of public interest.”
Though the level of Huawei’s involvement in the projects is unknown, the documents elicit questions about whether the company breached American export oversight to supply equipment to the North Korean regime.
The U.S. blacklisted Huawei in May as a national security threat, preventing American companies from selling their equipment to the tech giant without special approval.
Huawei spokesman Joe Kelly said in a statement to the Post that the company has “no business presence” in North Korea. However, he did not answer questions regarding any business activities Huawei may have performed in North Korea in the past.
“Huawei is fully committed to comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries and regions where we operate, including all export control and sanction laws and regulations of the United Nations, United States and European Union,” the statement read.
Panda Electronics Group, the state-owned parent company of Panda International, also did not respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. Commerce Department, which declined to comment to the Post, previously investigated Huawei’s affiliation with North Korea since 2016 but has not yet made a public connection that the two companies coordinated together.
The Department of Justice issued criminal charges against Huawei in January for bank fraud and conducting business with U.S.-sanctioned Iran.
The Washington Post also reported that Huawei and Panda abandoned their Pyongyang offices during the first half of 2016.
