A 'despicable rogue' action
- Huawei agrees to UK security demands: report
- Japan to ban govt use of Huawei products
Chinese state-run media yesterday condemned the arrest in Canada of a top executive of telecoms giant Huawei on a US extradition request as a "despicable rogue's approach" to contain Chinese high-tech ambitions.
The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer and daughter of the company's founder, has angered the Chinese government and raised concerns that it could disrupt a trade war truce between the world's two biggest economies.
Canada defended the arrest on Thursday, saying there was no political motivation, and a senior advisor to US President Donald Trump denied it was linked to US-China trade talks.
But Chinese media cast the move as an assault on the development of the country's high-tech industry.
"The Chinese government should seriously mull over the US tendency to abuse legal procedures to suppress China's high-tech enterprises," said the nationalist tabloid Global Times in an editorial.
"Obviously, Washington is resorting to a despicable rogue's approach as it cannot stop Huawei's 5G advance in the market," it said.
China has lodged diplomatic protests over the arrest and has repeatedly asked the US and Canada to "clarify" reasons for the arrest.
Meng's arrest follows a US probe into the company's alleged violations of Iran sanctions. She was to face a bail hearing in Canada yesterday.
Huawei is one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. Its products are used by carriers around the world, including in Europe and Africa. But its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine American competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage.
Australia, New Zealand and Britain have followed suit this year by rejecting some of the company's services over security concerns.
Japan too plans to ban government use of telecom products made by Huawei and Chinese tech firm ZTE, reported Japanese media Yomiuri Shimbun yesterday.
Meanwhile, the FT yesterday reported that Huawei has agreed to British intelligence demands over its equipment and software as it seeks to be part of the country's 5G network plans.
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