US Files Criminal Charges Against Huawei For ‘Stealing Technology’ And ‘Violating Iran Sanctions’ 

Just days ahead of the scheduled meeting between American and Chinese negotiators to flesh out a new deal to end the trade war, the US has indicted Chinese telecom major, Huawei, with a range of criminal charges, reports Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

US prosecutors have alleged that Huawei violated US sanctions on Iran and also stole intellectual property (IP) from a US business partner. It is claimed that Huawei stole the technology to test smartphones from T-Mobile, a US-based telecom company. Also, recently, a Seattle jury found the Chinese company guilty of misappropriating robotic technology from T-Mobile’s lab.

“Huawei relied on dishonest business practices that contradict the very economic principles that have allowed American companies and the United States to thrive. There is no place…for this kind of criminal behavior in our country,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray.

However, a Huawei spokesperson denied all of the alleged violations of US law mentioned in the indictments. China’s Foreign Ministry has also asked the US “to stop the unreasonable suppression” of Huawei.

Global Concerns

The US and other Western nations have alleged that Huawei is closely aligned with the authoritarian Chinese government and works in tandem to assist its intelligence operations across the world. The company, which is the largest supplier of telecom equipment in the world, has been accused of transferring sensitive telecom data of overseas citizens to China.

In 2018, Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Meng Wanzhou, was arrested by Canadian authorities, over allegations that the company violated US’ sanctions on Iran. US has placed an extradition request with Canada for the CFO.

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