China accuses Washington of trying to block development

BEIJING  — China’s government has accused Washington of trying to block its industrial development after Vice President Mike Pence said Chinese tech giant Huawei and other telecom equipment suppliers are a security threat.

A foreign ministry spokesman said Monday that Beijing would not use its companies to gather information about foreign companies.

The spokesman, Geng Shuang, said Washington was trying to “fabricate an excuse for suppressing the legitimate development” of Chinese companies.

Pence, speaking Saturday in Germany, urged European governments to take seriously “the threat” posed by Huawei as they look for partners to build next-generation wireless infrastructure.

Huawei has denied accusations that it facilitates Chinese spying. /gsg