The chairman of Huawei called on the United States, Australia and other governments on Tuesday to provide evidence to back up claims the Chinese tech giant is a security risk as it launched a public relations effort to defuse fears that threaten its role in next-generation communications.

Accusations against the biggest global supplier of network gear stem from "ideology and geopolitics," Ken Hu said. He warned excluding Huawei from the rollout of fifth-generation telecoms would raise costs and hamper innovation.