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This week, the government commission that inspects transactions important to national security issued a negative conclusion, which will be presented to the Cabinet of Ministers.
“The Commission has concluded, based on an assessed national security transaction, that the transaction is not in the interest of national security. The commission will present that conclusion to the Government,” Basa spokeswoman Rasa Jakilaitienė confirmed on Friday.
He said that the Coordinating Commission for the Protection of Important Sites for National Security “is based on information provided by the authorities, which cannot be made public.”
Last month, the state company Lietuvos Airports confirmed to BNS that Nuctech participated in a tender to install baggage control systems.
The airports themselves and Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chairman of the Seimas Defense and National Security Committee, addressed the government commission on Chinese investments.
L. Kasčiūnas later warned that Nuctech’s X-ray inspection team at airports could collect data on passengers and luggage that would be available to Chinese intelligence and security services under Chinese law.
According to the law, the Lithuanian company operating the international airports of Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga is on the list of companies in the first category important to ensure national security.
The US Wall Street Journal reported last June that US agencies had launched an active campaign against Nuctech’s operations in Europe.
The article said that the National Security Council and several other US agencies were working to persuade European governments to abandon Nuctech, whose cargo, baggage and passenger control systems are becoming common in ports, airports and checkpoints. border across Europe.
Critics say Nuctech’s low-cost strategy suggests that the company does not operate on a commercial basis, but rather seeks to ensure control of its strategic infrastructure.
Last year, Lithuanian intelligence services warned that “China’s pursuit of technological advantage and active investment penetration increases the vulnerability of other countries and the risk of losing control of infrastructure.”
On Friday, L. Kasčiūnas welcomed the government’s decision; According to the politician, it shows that the ambition to achieve independence from unreliable technology providers in a few years is based on real work.
“This decision shows that Lithuania has decided not to be part of the technosphere created and controlled by China. Investments and purchases in strategic sectors must comply with the transatlantic security criteria,” L. Kasčiūnas told BNS.
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