Global News

Although US officials have long cautioned against the company, tensions heightened in December 2018 when Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada, and subsequently indicted by the US for alleged bank and wire fraud. Meng and Huawei deny any wrongdoing, and the CFO is currently fighting extradition to the US.

Read more: What you need to know about Meng Wanzhou, a Chinese tech founder’s daughter whose arrest could set fire to US-China relations

Initially, Huawei struck a conciliatory tone, with CEO Ren Zhengfei (who is also Meng Wanzhou’s father) breaking a long press silence to call Donald Trump a “great president.” Since then, however, a fight has erupted between the company and the Trump administration, with Huawei denying any claims of spying and accusing the US of orchestrating Meng Wanzhou’s arrest for political reasons.

The US has been furiously lobbying its allies to freeze out Huawei’s 5G network equipment, citing national security concerns. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned allied countries in mid-February 2019 that it would be “more difficult” for the US to partner with countries that didn’t distance themselves from Huawei.

President Trump ramped up the pressure yet further in May last year by signing an executive order declaring a national emergency over “threats against information and communications technology and services,” a move expected to precede a ban on US businesses buying equipment from Huawei. Since then the company has received three 90-day licenses, so the blacklisting has yet to fully kick in.

Still America continues to lobby against the company, but its efforts have been met with mixed success. Here is a run-down of how allies have reacted.