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The US has passed legislation effectively banning Huawei from doing business with American firms

Huawei has launched a legal challenge against the US government’s ban on it doing business with American firms, branding it "trial by legislature".

In an emotive speech, Huawei’s chief legal officer, Dr Song Liuping, said that the US was singling out Huawei without providing any evidence to support its allegations.

"The fact is, the US government has provided no evidence to show that Huawei is a security threat. There is no gun, no smoke. Only speculation.

"And yet Congress signed Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law – assuming guilt, not innocence.

"This legislation provides Huawei with no opportunity to defend ourselves or provide evidence. It gives us no opportunity to present a rebuttal.

"This is ‘trial by legislature,’ and it is prohibited by the US Constitution," he said.

The US ban requires Chinese firms to obtain a special licence from the US government in order to do business with American companies – a licence that the US government will be unwilling to grant to Huawei for as long as it is intent on using the issue for leverage in its trade talks with China.

The ban has hit Huawei by blocking access to the Android services that are the mainstay of its smartphone handsets. However, Huawei also maintains that American companies are suffering by being denied access to their products.

"Some people question why Huawei is fighting this law. They say it’s a PR stunt. Let me be clear: This lawsuit is about what’s right. The NDAA is bad for Huawei. But it also takes away freedom of choice for American operators and consumers.

"In the United States, many people in rural areas have been forgotten. They still don’t have access to affordable broadband networks. For many years, we have been working closely with rural operators to ensure that all Americans have equal access.

"Despite these efforts, two weeks ago, the US Commerce Department added Huawei to their "Entity List."

"This decision threatens to harm our customers in over 170 countries, including more than three billion consumers who use Huawei products and services around the world," Liuping concluded. 

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