Huawei’s planned lawsuit against the US government could help it gain friends in the West, experts say
- The landmark lawsuit is likely to be watched closely, and the result could affect how other countries perceive its equipment
- The case also comes as Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is awaiting possible extradition to the US, sues Canada for violating rights
Huawei Technologies’ planned lawsuit against the US government signals that the company is prepared to go through an open public process to clear its name, a move which could make other Western countries feel more confident about using Huawei’s equipment, according to experts.
The Chinese telecommunications equipment company is planning to sue the US government for banning federal agencies from using its equipment and will announce the lawsuit on Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said.
The lawsuit also comes as Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer who is currently awaiting possible extradition to the US, sued Canada’s government last Friday for allegedly violating her constitutional rights.
Huawei declined to comment on whether it was planning a lawsuit against the US.
“If Huawei wants to maintain a presence in the West, it has to assure its other customers that it was not worthy of the ban,” said Eric Crusius, partner at law firm Holland & Knight. “The most efficient and impactful way it can do that is through a lawsuit so long as it has a legitimate basis to argue against the ban and its submissions to the courts are not frivolous.”