'US clinging to a Cold War mentality' to contain China

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said yesterday that US should stop suppressing Chinese firms.

Members of the US Senate and House of Representatives introduced bills on Tuesday to keep tight restrictions on Huawei Technologies, amid concern about President Donald Trump’s easing of curbs on the Chinese firm.

The legislation would, among other things, bar the removal of the massive telecommunications equipment firm from a Commerce Department trade blacklist without House and Senate approval, and let Congress disallow waivers granted to US companies doing business with the company.

The United States has accused Huawei of stealing American intellectual property.

The Republicans and Democrats backing the measures said they viewed the company as a security threat.

Geng told a news briefing in Beijing yesterday that the United States should immediately cease its “suppression” of Huawei.

Geng said that relevant US legislators were “clinging to a Cold War mentality” in trying to contain China’s development, and that such actions “seriously damaged the United States’ national image.”

The United States placed Huawei on the Commerce Department’s so-called “Entity List” in May over national security concerns.

US parts and components generally cannot be sold to those on the list without special licenses.

However, Trump, who is seeking to revive trade talks with China, announced late last month that US companies would be allowed to sell products to Huawei.

The “Defending America’s 5G Future Act” was introduced in the Senate by Republicans Cotton, Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney and Democrats Chris Van Hollen, Mark Warner and Richard Blumenthal.

A companion bill was introduced in the House by Democratic representatives Jimmy Panetta and Ruben Gallego and Republicans Mark Gallagher and Liz Cheney.

Washington has also launched a lobbying effort to persuade US allies to keep Huawei out of next-generation 5G telecommunications infrastructure, citing security concerns.

Huawei has denied all the allegations.