According to investigations by U.S. authorities, the company based in Bonn was a victim of cyber espionage in the USA. (Photo: dpa)
For days, the media has been reporting on a dispute between the U.S. Department of Justice and the government in Beijing over the alleged hacking of American businesses by Chinese military personnel. It has now been revealed that the U.S. subsidiary of SolarWorld AG is on the list of companies that were supposedly the victims of cyber espionage attacks.
For the CEO of SolarWorld AG, this accusation fits the overall picture: In a statement on Monday, Frank Asbeck was not particularly surprised "that China is resorting to the tried and tested strategy of industrial espionage." The People's Republic is planning to completely take over the international solar industry using dumping prices and espionage, according to Asbeck. SolarWorld was one of the initiators of an anti-dumping campaign in both the USA and Europe. Punitive tariffs or minimum prices for Chinese imports have been introduced in both of these major photovoltaic markets. According to critics, however, this still does not guarantee fair competition.
Milan Nitzschke, president the initiative EU ProSun and spokesman for SolarWorld, commented on the allegations coming from the USA with political demands: "It will be a long time before China realises that growth is only possible through fair trade relations. It is all the more important that the EU and the USA use every means at their disposal to prevent illegal Chinese activities until such time. Europe must ensure that the current anti-dumping measures are being upheld and enforced, and industrial espionage must be sharply penalised." EU ProSun suspects that spying activities were selectively targeted at companies that had voiced accusations of dumping in their respective industries. Other companies on the list are in the aluminium and steel industries, for example.
A lawsuit has already been filed on the basis of the investigations in the USA. A press release from the U.S. Department of Justice mentions a considerable range of stolen trade secrets and other sensitive business information. The Chinese government, however, has vehemently denied the allegations and has responded by summoning the U.S. ambassador.
Ralf Ossenbrink
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