A Huawei salesman waits for customers in a Huawei electronics store in Beijing on Thursday. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

April 4 (UPI) -- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology said it's severing its relationship with Chinese smartphone makers Huawei and ZTE due to federal investigations over "violations of sanction restrictions."

University researchers said they will give more scrutiny to any project that's funded by China, Russia or Saudi Arabia. The school will also review projects that involve MIT faculty, staff or students working in those countries and related collaborative projects.


Maria Zuber, vice president of research at MIT, and Richard Lester, a nuclear science and engineering professor, announced the change Wednesday. They said while Huawei and ZTE are the focus now, the shift sees beyond those firms.

"We have determined that engagements with certain countries -- currently China, Russia and Saudi Arabia -- merit additional faculty and administrative review beyond the usual evaluations that all international projects receive," they said a statement. "Special attention will be paid to risks related to intellectual property, export controls, data security and access, economic competitiveness, national security, and political, civil and human rights, as well as potential impacts on the MIT community."

A Huawei spokesman said the company is disappointed by MIT's decision, but realizes the university is under greater scrutiny. The U.S. military last year banned products from Huawei and ZTE on bases worldwide.

"Scientific research is carried out for the benefit of all mankind, and should be free from the influence of geopolitics," the Huawei spokesman said. "Huawei denies the allegations of the U.S. government, and we trust the U.S. judicial system will ultimately reach the right conclusion."

ZTE did not immediately respond to the school's decision.