The Chinese company Nuctech has strong ties to both the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s military. Although the company’s equipment has been banned in the US over security concerns, Nuctech has already sold equipment to several European airports and now it has also landed a deal with Swedavia AB, the Swedish state-owned company, which owns and operates ten of the country’s busiest airports.
Citing Aftonbladet, media Expressen writes that Nuctech will supply a modernization of security control for Swedavia which confirms that the Chinese company won because they submitted the best deal.
Critics believe that by using Nuctech, China could gain access to sensitive information through security checks due to the company’s close ties to the Communist Party and the country’s military.
Lars Nicander, a senior adviser at Förvarshögskolan, says to Expressen that it sounds strange to choose the company “when the same products have been blacklisted elsewhere,” but Swedavia says that the equipment has gone through the proper controls.
Swedavia’s communications department writes in a comment to Expressen that the X-ray system has been approved “by ECAC, which is the authority responsible for approving inspection equipment in Europe. Regarding the agreement, we have complied with current procurement legislation and the procurement also follows the rules according to the Security Protection Act. Swedavia will sign a security protection agreement with the supplier. ”
Nuctech has denied that information could reach the Chinese state.
“It’s our equipment, but your data. Our customers decide what happens to the data,” Robert Bos, head of the company in the Netherlands says.
