New York (CNN) The United States is urging its allies to stop using Huawei telecommunications equipment because the Chinese company poses a security threat, according to a published report.

, citing sources familiar with the discussions, reports that US officials are pushing countries that host American military bases to ban the use of Huawei equipment from their wireless and internet networks. The Wall Street Journal citing sources familiar with the discussions, reports that US officials are pushing countries that host American military bases to ban the use of Huawei equipment from their wireless and internet networks.

The US military uses secure networks for its most sensitive communications, but it is concerned that much of its traffic still moves over commercial networks in countries such as Germany, Italy and Japan, the Journal reported. US officials are meeting with government representatives and telecom executives in the other countries to urge them to exclude Huawei equipment from government and commercial networks.

Huawei equipment increases the risk of cyberattacks and could allow China to spy on communications or disable connections in the fast growing "internet of things," the US officials argue.

"We engage with countries around the world about our concerns regarding cyberthreats in telecommunications infrastructure," an unnamed US official told the Journal. "As they're looking to move to 5G, we remind them of those concerns. There are additional complexities to 5G networks that make them more vulnerable to cyberattacks."