Tēnā koe,

Thank you for your Official Information Act request.

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and, in any event, no later than 20 working days after the day that your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.
If you have any queries, please feel free to contact [GCSB request email].

Ngā mihi,
GCSB

-----Original Message-----
From: Mohammed Khan <[FOI #20334 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 24 August 2022 7:41 PM
To: Information (GCSB) <[GCSB request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Evaluation of Huawei 5G technology

Dear Government Communications Security Bureau,

Over the weekend, it was revealed in the Times of London that your counterparts in the United Kingdom, following a security review of Huawei's 5G infrastructure technology, concluded that there was no barrier to working with the company to build a cost-effective, high quality 5G network in their nation. Indeed, despite the best efforts of Donald Trump and his NSC anti-Asian director Matthew Pottinger to browbeat them into using inferior solutions through day long racist rants, they continued to work with Huawei until May 2020, when Trump's illegal sanctions meant chip sourcing requirements could no longer be met.

It is well known that you bowed to foreign pressure from the Americans to block the purchase of 5g technology from Chinese people far sooner, as early as November 2018.

1) Was the GCHQ's review of Huawei's technology, which proved to the GCHQ that it was safe for Britain to implement Huawei technology, provided to GCSB?
2) Did GCSB conduct any real review or assessment of Huawei's technology, as the GCHQ did, or simply rely on the word of your American bosses? If a review or assessment was conducted, or a report prepared, how many full time equivalents were assigned to this, and for how long?
3) At what dates and by what means did Matthew Pottinger contact GCSB and GCSB personnel between January 2017, and January 2021?
4) Please provide all communications between GCSB and Spark regarding your decision to reject their use of the proven-safe Huawei 5g technology in 2018.

Regards,
Mohammed Khan

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Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
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This electronic message, together with any attachments, contains information that is provided in confidence and may be subject to legal privilege.
Any classification markings must be adhered to. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy or use the message in
any way. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by return email and then destroy the original message.
The New Zealand Intelligence Community (NZIC) and the departments comprising the NZIC accepts no responsibility for changes to this e-mail, or to any attachments, after its transmission
from NZIC. This communication may be accessed or retained for information assurance purposes. Thank you.

hide quoted sections

Kia ora Mohammed

Please find attached the GCSB's response to your request.

Kind regards
GCSB

-----Original Message-----
From: Mohammed Khan <[FOI #20334 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 24 August 2022 7:41 PM
To: Information (GCSB) <[GCSB request email]>
Subject: Official Information request - Evaluation of Huawei 5G technology

Dear Government Communications Security Bureau,

Over the weekend, it was revealed in the Times of London that your counterparts in the United Kingdom, following a security review of Huawei's 5G infrastructure technology, concluded that there was no barrier to working with the company to build a cost-effective, high quality 5G network in their nation. Indeed, despite the best efforts of Donald Trump and his NSC anti-Asian director Matthew Pottinger to browbeat them into using inferior solutions through day long racist rants, they continued to work with Huawei until May 2020, when Trump's illegal sanctions meant chip sourcing requirements could no longer be met.

It is well known that you bowed to foreign pressure from the Americans to block the purchase of 5g technology from Chinese people far sooner, as early as November 2018.

1) Was the GCHQ's review of Huawei's technology, which proved to the GCHQ that it was safe for Britain to implement Huawei technology, provided to GCSB?
2) Did GCSB conduct any real review or assessment of Huawei's technology, as the GCHQ did, or simply rely on the word of your American bosses? If a review or assessment was conducted, or a report prepared, how many full time equivalents were assigned to this, and for how long?
3) At what dates and by what means did Matthew Pottinger contact GCSB and GCSB personnel between January 2017, and January 2021?
4) Please provide all communications between GCSB and Spark regarding your decision to reject their use of the proven-safe Huawei 5g technology in 2018.

Regards,
Mohammed Khan

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #20334 email]

Is [GCSB request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to Government Communications Security Bureau? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This electronic message, together with any attachments, contains information that is provided in confidence and may be subject to legal privilege.
Any classification markings must be adhered to. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy or use the message in
any way. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by return email and then destroy the original message.
The New Zealand Intelligence Community (NZIC) and the departments comprising the NZIC accepts no responsibility for changes to this e-mail, or to any attachments, after its transmission
from NZIC. This communication may be accessed or retained for information assurance purposes. Thank you.

hide quoted sections