Huawei Confronts Decades-Long Allegations in Landmark US Trial
A landmark trial against Huawei, a Chinese technology giant, has begun in a federal court in Brooklyn. The US government is accusing the company of engaging in illegal activities over more than two decades.
The charges include racketeering, money laundering, bank and wire fraud, sanctions violations, obstruction, and conspiring to steal trade secrets from five US technology companies. Among the allegations are that Huawei stole internet-router source code from Cisco and a robotic testing arm from T-Mobile.
Huawei denies all wrongdoing, saying the US government's narrative is 'demonstrably false' and intended to undermine its competitiveness. The company's defense attorney argued that the case reflects 'routine competition and ordinary business dealings,' accusing prosecutors of 'cherry-picking isolated events' involving individual employees.
The trial comes amid a broader US-China technology rivalry, including restrictions on China's access to advanced US chips and technology for artificial intelligence and semiconductors. Huawei has also faced scrutiny in Europe, with Belgian prosecutors launching an investigation into suspected bribery of European Parliament members.