WASHINGTON, DC -- A US House committee is investigating possible security threats to the nation's infrastructure from two large Chinese telecommunications companies.

Huawei and ZTE Corp. are expected to be asked to testify on Sept. 13 before the House Intelligence Committee, which is looking at the relationship between those companies and the Chinese government.

In a statement, the committee said it is reviewing "the extent to which these companies have ties to the Chinese government or otherwise provide the Chinese government an opportunity for greater foreign espionage, threaten our critical infrastructure, or increase the opportunities for Chinese economic espionage," the committee said in a statement on Thursday.

Huawei appears to be negotiating terms of its testimony, saying it has received the invitation to testify "and will appear at the hearing if the appropriate arrangements are agreed with the committee." ZTE has indicated it would appear.

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