Beijing backs Huawei in legal fight against ‘groundless provocations’ from US for the first time
- Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls on Chinese firms not to be victimised like ‘silent lambs’
- Analyst says Beijing ‘cannot tolerate’ situation while pursuing stable ties with US
China has for the first time thrown its weight behind tech giant Huawei’s legal action against the United States, and called upon Chinese companies not to act like “silent lambs”.
Friday’s statement by Foreign Minister Wang Yi was a departure from Beijing’s largely conciliatory stance as he stressed the importance of “cooperation” and a “positive outlook” for China-US relations.
Wang made the remarks as negotiators for the sides closed on a deal to end a long-running dispute over trade tariffs. But US ambassador to China Terry Branstad said on Friday that the parties were still discussing the date for a second Mar-a-Lago summit between China’s President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The meeting was originally expected to take place on March 27 and 28, following Xi’s trip to Europe.
At his annual press conference on the fringe of the National People’s Congress on Friday, Wang highlighted the Chinese government’s full backing for Huawei’s legal action against the US government.
“We support the company and the individual in question in seeking legal redress to protect their interests,” Wang said, raising his fist, “and refusing to be victimised like silent lambs”.