Chinese telecom and ­internet company Huawei has defended is independence amid reports its servers were infiltrated by the US National Security Agency (NSA).

Two magazines have claimed the NSA obtained sensitive data and monitored Huawei executives' communications, citing documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the former US security ­operative and new rector of Glasgow University.

"If the actions in the report are true, Huawei condemns such activities," said John Suffolk, the firm's global cyber security officer.

"Corporate networks are under constant probe and attack from different sources - such is the status quo in today's digital age," he added, defending Huawei's independence and security record.

It is claimed one goal of the NSA operation was to uncover any connections between Huawei and the Chinese People's Liberation Army, but that it also sought to conduct surveillance through computer and telephone networks and to potentially unleash offensive cyber operations.