The Lithuanian government banned the use of airport baggage scanning equipment made by Chinese companies on the grounds of national security.
The Lithuanian government banned the use of baggage scanning equipment produced by the Dutch branch of China’s Tongfang Nuctech Technologies (Nuctech). The company produces cargo, baggage and passenger scanning systems that are becoming fixtures at ports, border crossings and airports across Europe, Reuters said.
A spokesman for the Lithuanian government’s prime minister said after the government held a closed-door meeting that “the government decided that this contract is not in the interest of national security.”
Lithuanian law gives the government the power to block contracts to be signed by strategic companies such as the Airport and Port Authority if it believes the contracts are harmful to national security.
Robert Gilchrist, the U.S. ambassador to Lithuania, earlier welcomed reports that the Lithuanian government is considering banning equipment made by Tongfang Nuctech. He said, “I congratulate the Lithuanian government for taking this action and seeking to protect Lithuania’s national security and critical infrastructure.”
For its part, Tongfang Nuctech Netherlands said it did not understand the Lithuanian government’s concerns, as the scanning equipment would be manufactured in Poland.
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