Embattled Chinese tech giant Huawei is suing the US government in its most aggressive move yet to fight back against accusations that its technology poses a global security threat.
Huawei, the world’s biggest maker of telecommunications equipment, said Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit in Texas challenging a recent US law that bans federal agencies from buying its products.
“This ban not only is unlawful, but also restricts Huawei from engaging in fair competition, ultimately harming US consumers,” Huawei Deputy Chairman Guo Ping said at a news conference at the company’s headquarters in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. He accused Congress of acting as “judge, jury and executioner” by imposing the ban.
The Chinese company, which is also a top smartphone maker, is asking a US federal court to overturn part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed by President Donald Trump in August. Huawei alleges that a portion of the law — which specifically forbids government agencies from using technology from Huawei and its smaller Chinese rival, ZTE (ZTCOF) — violates the US Constitution by singling out an individual or group for punishment without trial.
“The US Congress has repeatedly failed to produce any evidence to support its restrictions on Huawei products,” Guo said. “We are compelled to take this legal action as a proper and last resort.”
US government officials weren’t immediately available to comment on the lawsuit outside of regular office hours.
Huawei’s court challenge takes its heated standoff with the US government to a new level.
The company is one of China’s biggest tech firms and a key player in the global rollout of super-fast 5G wireless networks. Its smartphones compete globally with those of Apple (AAPL) and Samsung.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/06/tech/huawei-suing-united-states/index.html