Huawei is not a military company despite founder Ren Zhengfei’s previous career in the army, China’s defence minister said Sunday.
“Huawei is not a military company. Do not think that because the head of Huawei used to serve in the military, then the company that he built is part of the military,” General Wei Fenghe told an international security dialogue in Singapore.
“It doesn’t make sense because these sorts of ex-servicemen, upon their retirement, a lot of them have set up companies in countries across the world.”
Washington recently added Huawei to a list of companies that US firms cannot trade with unless they have a licence.
The trade ban is part of a wider battle between the US and Huawei.
The tech giant has asked a US court to throw out US legislation that bars federal agencies from buying its products.
The company filed suit against the US bill in March, calling it “unconstitutional” and saying the US Congress had failed to provide evidence to support its restrictions on Huawei products.
And while Huawei’s founder brushes aside a US ban against his company, its employees have been less sanguine, confessing fears for their future in online chat rooms.
Beijing accused President Trump of engaging in industrial sabotage by using state security as “as a pretext for suppressing foreign business”.
