Chinese tech giant Huawei is suing the US government

World Today

Huawei Rotating Chairman Guo Ping, center, speaks in front of other executives during a press conference in Shenzhen, China’s Guangdong province, Thursday, March 7, 2019. Chinese tech giant Huawei is launching a U.S. court challenge to a law that labels the company a security risk and would limit its access to the American market for telecom equipment. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chinese tech giant Huawei is suing the U.S. government, claiming it has been unfairly banned from use in United States government networks. The U.S. has labelled Huawei a security risk and claims users of their equipment could be spied upon by the Chinese government. Huawei denies wrongdoing and says its systems are safe and secure.

During a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen China, rotating Huawei Chairman Guo Ping claims the U.S. has hacked Huawei servers, emails and source code but has found no evidence of wrongdoing.

CGTN’s Jim Spellman reports.

“After exhausting all other means to allay the doubts of some U.S. lawmakers, we are left with no choice but to challenge the law in court. This ban not only is unlawful, but also harms both Huawei and U.S. consumers,” said Guo.

The ban was passed by Congress in 2018 as part of a sprawling defense spending bill–it bars the U.S. government and contractors from purchasing equipment or services from five Chinese tech companies including Huawei.

The lawsuit claims the law unfairly targets Huawei, violates the company’s due process rights by denying the company a chance to defend itself and claims the U.S. Congress overstepped its bounds when making the law.


READ THE SUIT:

“It is effectively adjudicating on its own whether or not Huawei is in fact influenced by and subject to the Chinese government instead of allowing the executive and the courts to make that judgment as the statute allows for all other companies,” said Glen Nager, lead Huawei attorney in the suit.

The lawsuit could force the U.S. to produce evidence to back up its claims. It could also force Huawei to reveal more about its inner workings. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, who supports the ban, tweeted:

But Huawei executives say they welcome oversight.

“At Huawei, we are proud that we are the most open, transparent organization in the world. We allow our customers and their professional teams to come and audit and inspect and review everything we do,” said John Suffolk, Huawei Global Cyber Security and Privacy Officer.

Last year, a judge threw out a similar suit filed by a Russian cybersecurity firm that was also banned in the U.S. The judge in that case ruled that protecting American computer networks outweighs damages done to private companies.


Bruce Fein on Huawei’s case against the US government

To discuss the merits of Huawei’s case against the U.S., CGTN’s John Terrett spoke with constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein.


John Gong talks the details of Huawei case and the company’s future

CGTN’s John Terrett spoke to John Gong, professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics, about the implications of Huawei’s legal battle in the U.S.