WORRIES: An official of Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei Technologies says he's concerned that new Australian legislation to protect communication networks from cyberattack could exclude companies from tendering for work simply because they're Chinese.

THE BACKDROP: Huawei's Australian subsidiary was last year barred on security grounds from working on a national broadband network that is now under construction. Huawei denies it poses any threat.

THE FORUM: Huawei's chairman, John Lord, spoke at a parliamentary committee hearing on the proposed law,