Australia upholds ban on Huawei contract bid

Australia has maintained a ban issued by the previous Labor government to bar China's Huawei telecom company from bidding for the country's high-speed national Internet program, local media reported.

According to reports, Australian Attorney-General George Brandis issued a statement on Tuesday indicating that the government will uphold the ban due to security concerns.

The previous government's decision not to permit Huawei to tender for the National Broadband Network was based on advice from the national security agencies, Brandis told media. "Since the election the current government has had further briefings from the national security agencies, and no decision has been made by the new government to change that existing policy," he was quoted as saying.