Huawei Wants An ASX Listing, Just Not Now
China's Huawei Technologies won't list on the AustralianSecurities Exchange until 2017 at the earliest, if at all, as it seeksto convince Australian authorities that it's run transparently andnot an arm of the Chinese state.
An Australian listing is a five-to-10 year aspiration of Huawei'slocal board, and no concrete plans have been made, a personfamiliar with the matter told Deal Journal Australia.
Huawei is the world's largest telecom equipment vendor after Sweden's Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson , but is hitting road bumps as it expands overseas because the supply of telecommunicationstechnology is a sensitive issue for governments. Huawei was founded by Ren Zhengfei, a formerofficer of the People's Liberation Army in China, who still runs the company as chief executive.
Late last year, the U.S. Congress launched an investigation into whether Huawei and other Chinesetelecommunications companies pose a potential national-security threat as they expand in the U.S. The probe aimed to examine how Chinese companies are supplying components of U.S. telecommunications systems and the security threats that activity may pose. It also aimed to lookat the intelligence-collection capabilities that access to U.S. systems would provide a foreigngovernment.
U.S. officials worried the Chinese government could access that equipment and track phone callsor emails, or disrupt or destroy a communications system.
Australia also has big concerns, despite Huawei's efforts at building bridges. In June 2011, theShenzhen-based company announced the creation of an Australian board,which included formerLeader of the Opposition Alexander Downer and former Premier of Victoria John Brumby.
But the firm was deemed unsuitable to bid to work on the country's US$36 billion nationalbroadband network, or NBN, despite its role on similar projects in countries including New Zealand, Singapore, and the U.K. The NBN aims to connect 93% of Australia's homes and businesses withoptical fiber so they can have high-speed access to the Internet.
Global concerns about cyber security are rising in the wake of high-profile attacks on governmentand corporate IT systems.
Last year, Australian media reported that computers used by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, thenforeign minister Kevin Rudd and several other government ministers were hacked, allegedly byChinese intelligence services. The government declined to comment on the reports at the time.
Huawei is wholly owned by around 65,000 Chinese employees. More than 75,000 other employeeslocated in 140 countries are currently unable to invest in the company due to Chinese corporatelaws, which restrict overseas shareholdings.
On a visit Down Under last month, Mr. Ren said the company would reinvest its Australian profits inAustralia as part of its localization strategy. In March, the Chinese company lifted its commitment tothe Australian market through a 1.7 million Australian dollar (US$1.8 million) sponsorship of theCanberra Raiders, a National Rugby League team.
Huawei's Australian unit reported revenue of A$229 million in 2011, a 34% increase from 2010.
中國華為技術有限公司(Huawei Technologies)即使會在澳大利亞證券交易所(Australian SecuritiesExchange)上市,最早也要到2017年才會成行。目前,華為正在爭取說服澳大利亞當局,讓其相信自己的運營是透明的,且不是中國政府下屬的一個機構。
一位知情人士對《華爾街日報》Deal Journal Australia欄目說,在澳大利亞上市是華為澳大利亞子公司董事會未來5至10年的目標,目前尚未制定具體計劃。
華為是僅次于瑞典愛立信(Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson)的世界第二大電信設備提供商,但由于電信技術的供應對各國政府來說是一個敏感問題,華為的海外擴張之旅目前并不順利。華為由曾是中國人民解放軍軍官的任正非創辦,目前他仍擔任該公司首席執行長。
去年底,美國國會發起了一項調查,希望搞清楚華為及其他中國電信設備公司在美國擴張業務的同時,是否會給美國的國家安全帶來潛在的威脅。調查旨在查明中國公司是如何向美國電信系統提供零部件的,以及這類活動可能給美國國家安全帶來的威脅。調查還旨在查明得以進入美國的電信系統將可能為外國政府提供的情報收集能力。
美國官員擔心中國政府可能會進入應用于美國電信系統的設備,跟蹤電話或電子郵件,或干擾、破壞通訊系統。
澳大利亞對華為也很擔心,盡管華為努力在當地構筑人脈關系。2011年6月,這家總部位于深圳的公司宣布設立澳大利亞子公司董事會,其成員包括前反對黨領袖唐納(Alexander Downer)和維多利亞州前州長布倫比(John Brumby)。
不過,該公司被認為不適合競標參與澳大利亞規模360億美元的全國寬帶網絡項目,盡管華為曾參與新西蘭、新加坡和英國等國家的類似項目。澳大利亞全國寬帶網絡項目旨在將該國93%的家庭和企業用光纜連接起來,為其提供高速上網服務。
在政府和公司IT系統遭受了備受關注的攻擊后,全球對網絡安全的擔憂也開始上升。
去年,澳大利亞媒體報道說,總理吉拉德(Julia Gillard)、時任外交部長的陸克文(Kevin Rudd)和其他多名政府部長使用的電腦遭到黑客攻擊,攻擊被指來自中國情報部門。澳大利亞政府當時拒絕就報道置評。
華為由其約6.5萬名中國員工全資所有。由于中國的公司法限制海外投資者持股,華為在其他140個國家的逾7.5萬名員工目前不能投資該公司。
上個月訪問澳大利亞期間,任正非說,作為華為本地化戰略的一部分,該公司將把在澳大利亞獲得的利潤重新投資澳大利亞。今年3月,華為斥資170萬澳元(約合180萬美元)贊助澳大利亞橄欖球聯賽(National Rugby League)球隊堪培拉奇襲隊(Canberra Raiders),此舉向外界展示了它致力于開拓澳大利亞市場的雄心。
華為澳大利亞子公司2011年實現收入2.29億澳元,同比增長34%。