Chinese battery giant CATL hits back at Duke Energy disconnecting batteries

(Corrects paragraph 4 to clarify that Duke Energy disconnected batteries not because of its own security concerns but instead after lawmakers raised concerns)

BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Chinese battery giant CATL has hit back at U.S. utility firm Duke Energy's move to disconnect its batteries, saying that accusations about CATL batteries posing a potential security threat are false and misleading.

Business and products in the United States do not collect, sell, or share data in any way, the company said.

Products have passed rigorous safety and security reviews including those by U.S. authorities and businesses, it added.

Duke Energy said on Wednesday it had disconnected large-scale batteries made by CATL from North Carolina Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune after lawmakers and experts raised concerns about the battery supplier's close links to China's ruling Communist Party.

(This story has been corrected to clarify that Duke Energy disconnected batteries not because of its own security concerns but, instead, after lawmakers raised concerns, in paragraph 4)

(Reporting by Zhang Yan, Qiaoyi Li and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)