The diplomatic row over the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei escalated today when Beijing angrily condemned “unfair and immoral” criminal charges levelled against the company by US prosecutors.
China’s first global tech brand and the world’s second biggest smartphone maker was indicted yesterday on a total of 23 charges of industrial espionage and violating sanctions on Iran.
China’s foreign ministry last night expressed “grave concern” over the move and accused the US authorities of using “state power to blacken” the reputation of Chinese companies. It added that the charges were the result of “strong political motivation and political manipulation”.
Separately Wen Ku, a senior official at the Chinese ministry of industry and information technology, told reporters in Beijing that the indictments were “unfair and immoral”.
A foreign ministry statement read out on state-run TV news warned that Beijing will “firmly defend” its companies. It did not indicate when or whether there would be any direct retaliation.
The charges will overshadow a two-day meeting between Chinese and US officials aimed at resolving the long-running trade war between the world’s economic superpowers.
The US accused Huawei of trying to steal technology — including part of a robot known as Tappy — from a T-Mobile lab used to test smartphones.
Huawei and the company’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, are also accused of using a Hong Kong front company, Skycom, to trade with Iran in breach of sanctions laws.
Ms Meng, 47, daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver last month at the request of the US authorities. She was freed on bail and was due in court today as part of extradition proceedings.
In a statement Huawei said: “The company denies that it or its subsidiary or affiliate have committed any of the asserted violations of US law.”
Huawei said it was “not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms Meng, and believes the US courts will ultimately reach the same conclusion”.
