Huawei says US-China trade deal should lead to talks
- Trade ban on Huawei is hurting US technology companies more, according to a senior executive at the Chinese telecoms gear maker
The US government will need to agree to talks with Huawei Technologies as part of a future trade deal with China, a top executive at China’s largest technology company said.
Huawei has become a focal point for US-Chinese tensions and is regarded by some as a bargaining chip in the negotiations. Washington’s decision to stop the company buying American technology has cut it off from vital supplies, such as Qualcomm chipsets and Google’s Android operating software.
Chief security officer Andy Purdy said he “can’t imagine” a trade deal in which the US government doesn’t agree to hold discussions with Huawei.
“The most that a trade deal would do relative to Huawei would be to result in the US government having discussions with Huawei, to try to work out the agreement between Huawei and the US,” Purdy said at a briefing in Budapest on September 10.
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The US has urged countries and companies to reject Huawei technology in 5G wireless networks, telling allies it could put their citizens’ data at risk. Huawei has denied any wrongdoing and accused the US of singling it out for political reasons.
Purdy said the US crackdown against Huawei is hurting American companies and workers more than Huawei. He said the company spent US$11 billion on US supplies last year and an estimated 40,000 US jobs depend on its business.
Huawei wants “transparent mechanisms” for evaluating its equipment and that of its competitors, which would build “trust through verification,” Purdy said.
“We’re not asking we should simply be allowed to sell without any scrutiny,” he said. “We believe there has to be scrutiny for everyone.”
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