China To Support Its Companies Amid Google Cutting Ties With Huawei - Foreign Ministry

Daniyal Sohail Published May 21, 2019 | 11:40 AM

China supports its companies in protecting their rights after Google cut off Huawei's access to updates of its Android operating system, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2019) China supports its companies in protecting their rights after Google cut off Huawei's access to updates of its Android operating system, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday.

On May 16, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order adding Huawei and its 70 affiliates to a trade blacklist and hence restricting its activity in the country. From now on, US companies need a permission to trade with Huawei. As a result, US-based Google had to suspend business operations with Huawei, including the transfer of hardware, software and technical services, except those publicly available via open source licensing.

"We have also learned about it from the media. After confirming this information, we will closely follow what will come next. At the same time, China supports its companies in protecting their rights by legal means," Lu said during his briefing.

Huawei has recently faced allegations that the company is linked to the Chinese government and has spied on its behalf.

Although both Huawei and the Chinese government have firmly refuted these claims, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States banned Huawei from participating in government contracts last year.

According to Chinese officials, Washington is making up all possible pretexts to damage the Chinese economy.

On May 16, Huawei said in its statement that banning it from doing business with US firms would bring no benefit to the United States.

The incident came amid the trade war between China and the United States that started last June, when Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports in a bid to balance the trade deficit. Since then the sides have exchanged several rounds of duties. On May 10, Washington raised tariffs on another $200 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25 percent due to the impasse of trade talks. Beijing retaliated by announcing tariff hikes of up to 25 percent on $60 billion worth of US imports starting in June.