Chinese technology giant Huawei has offered to provide unrestricted access to its software code as it seeks to counter negative public perceptions that it poses a security risk.

The company was banned from having any involvement in building the National Broadband Network (NBN) on security grounds, and has also been the subject of a highly critical congressional report in the United States.

The chairman of the Australian arm of the company, John Lord, concedes Huawei has done a poor job of explaining its work and that needs to change.

He has suggested setting up a national cyber security centre, based on a similar concept in the United Kingdom, that would independently evaluate all overseas-made technology products.

"If Australia is to effectively mitigate risk in our communications networks, we must establish universal, transparent frameworks to provide security assurance for all vendors," Mr Lord said in a speech to the National Press Club.

"All companies who produce equipment overseas should naturally be subject to the same rigorous security testing procedures."

Mr Lord says the centre would be funded by the companies themselves but operated by Australians with appropriate levels of security clearance.

"Huawei is willing to offer complete and unrestricted access to our software source code and our equipment in such an environment," he said.

"And in the interests of national security, we believe all other vendors should be subject to the same high standard of transparency."

The company, which has about 900 employees in Australia, flatly denies persistent suggestions it has passed on sensitive information to Chinese security agencies.

Huawei says it has never been told of the reasons behind the Federal Government's decision to exclude it from the multi-billion-dollar NBN project.

"We are disappointed, we have accepted the Government's decision and we have moved on," Mr Lord said of the decision.

"Of course, we stand ready if the situation changes."

Earlier this year, Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr urged the company to continue expanding in Australia despite the NBN ban.

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PR campaign

Mr Lord's speech is the latest element in a concerted public relations campaign being mounted by the company, that has included a multi-million-dollar sponsorship deal with the Canberra Raiders rugby league team.

The company acknowledges it needs to become more transparent about its operations and has even offered to show the Government its full share registry.

Mr Lord says Australia cannot allow the domestic debate to become "distorted" in the same way it has in the United States, referring to the congressional report that recommended local companies not buy products from Huawei because of security concerns.

"The US committee report must be called for what it really is - protectionism, not security.

"If we are to find real solutions to real cyber-security problems, we cannot allow the discussion to be muddied by issues like the ongoing trade conflict between the US and China."