Huawei faces US criminal trial over theft and fraud allegations

A landmark criminal trial has commenced in a Brooklyn federal court against the Chinese technology firm Huawei. US prosecutors have characterized the company as a ‘criminal enterprise’ that engaged in a two-decade campaign of theft, deception, and sanctions evasion.

The allegations, spanning from approximately 1999 to 2020, include racketeering, money laundering, bank and wire fraud, and conspiracy to steal trade secrets from five US companies. Specific instances cited by prosecutors include the theft of internet-router source code from Cisco and a robotic testing arm from T-Mobile. Additionally, the government alleges Huawei circumvented US sanctions to move money through the financial system for operations in Iran and potentially provided equipment used by Iranian authorities to monitor protesters.

Huawe has pleaded not guilty, arguing that the US government is attempting to reframe individual employee actions and standard business disputes as a company-wide conspiracy. The trial is expected to last roughly three months, coinciding with an upcoming visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington.