Huawei Requests Speedy End to 'Illegal' US Ban

It's seeking summary judgment, perhaps to avoid discovery
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted May 29, 2019 7:37 AM CDT
Huawei Requests Speedy End to 'Illegal' US Ban
People use their smartphones outside of a shop selling Huawei products in Beijing on Wednesday.   (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Huawei is accelerating with its lawsuit against the US government, demanding Washington "halt illegal action" against the world's largest telecommunications company. The Trump administration has banned government agencies from doing business with the Chinese firm, fearing Beijing could use Huawei devices for spying. But Huawei's chief legal officer, Song Liuping—who lays out his case in the Wall Street Journal—says there's "no evidence to show that Huawei is a security threat … only speculation." The company therefore filed a motion for summary judgment at a US district court in Texas on Tuesday, arguing that the portion of the National Defense Authorization Act barring government agencies from using technology from Chinese rivals Huawei and ZTE violates the US Constitution as a form of punishment without trial, per CNN.

Huawei's lawsuit was filed in March, though the stakes are higher now that the company finds itself on a trade blacklist, blocking it from buying technology or components from US firms. "Experts say being unable to source US parts and components for too long would be crippling," reports CNN. "They are using every tool they have, including legislative, administrative, and diplomatic channels. They want to put us out of business. This is not normal. Almost never seen in history," Song said at a press conference in Shenzhen on Wednesday, per the South China Morning Post. "We hope that mistakes in the NDAA can be corrected by the court." The New York Times reports the request for summary judgment "could expedite an outcome without the costs and time of a full trial, including avoiding handing over sensitive corporate information." (More Huawei stories.)

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