The long-simmering battle between the U.S. government and Huawei heated up last night when the U.S. DOJ announced that it is pursuing criminal charges against the Chinese hardware maker.
Huawei has, unsurprisingly, denied all wrongdoing, issuing a statement to the press that wonders aloud why it wasn’t given the opportunity to help clear itself of charges following the arrest of its CFO in Vancouver.
The company writes:
Huawei is disappointed to learn of the charges brought against the company today. company After Ms. Meng’s arrest, the Company sought an opportunity to discuss the Eastern District of New York investigation with the Justice Department, but the request was rejected without explanation. The allegations in the Western District of Washington trade secret indictment were already the subject of a civil suit that was settled by the parties after a Seattle jury found neither damages nor willful and malicious conduct on the trade secret claim. The Company denies that it or its subsidiary or affiliate have committed any of the asserted violations of U.S. law set forth in each of the indictments, is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng, and believes the U.S. courts will ultimately reach the same conclusion.
The Chinese government has also been quick to come to the embattled tech giant’s defense.
“For some time now, the United States has deployed its state power to smear and crack down on targeted Chinese companies in an attempt to kill their normal and legal business operations,” Geng Shuang, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said in a statement. “We strongly urge the US to stop its unreasonable crackdown on Chinese companies, including Huawei, and treat Chinese companies objectively and fairly.”
Huawei (and to a lesser extent ZTE) has long been targeted by the U.S. over its alleged ties to the Chinese government. Tensions have made it all but impossible for the rapidly growing company to conquer the North American market.