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Senate Will Try To Reverse ZTE Deal Via a Must-Pass Defense Bill (politico.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Senate leaders agreed Monday to include language in the annual defense spending bill that would reverse the Trump administration's decision to save Chinese telecommunications company ZTE after it was caught violating the terms of a 2017 penalty agreement by making illegal sales to Iran and North Korea. The language will be part of an amendment in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, a $716 billion defense policy bill, H.R. 5515 (115).
If the Senate amendment becomes law, it would automatically reinstate the seven-year prohibition until Trump has certified to Congress that ZTE has met certain conditions. It also would ban all U.S. government agencies from purchasing or leasing telecommunications equipment and/or services from ZTE, a second Chinese telecommunications firm, Huawei, or any subsidiaries or affiliates of those two companies. The amendment language "prohibits the federal government from doing business with ZTE or Huawei or other Chinese telecom companies" and puts the company back on the sanctions list and "holds ZTE accountable for violating their previous commitment," Cotton said. The senators supporting the amendment include Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer and two Republican Senators -- Sen Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). "I and obviously every other senator believes the death penalty is the appropriate punishment for their behavior," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told reporters after Ross briefed senators on the department's latest ZTE action. "They're a repeat bad actor that should be put out of business. For eight years, ZTE was able to run wild and be able to become the fourth-largest telecom company in the world." If the Senate amendment becomes law, "I would expect there wouldn't be a ZTE," Cotton added.
If the Senate amendment becomes law, it would automatically reinstate the seven-year prohibition until Trump has certified to Congress that ZTE has met certain conditions. It also would ban all U.S. government agencies from purchasing or leasing telecommunications equipment and/or services from ZTE, a second Chinese telecommunications firm, Huawei, or any subsidiaries or affiliates of those two companies. The amendment language "prohibits the federal government from doing business with ZTE or Huawei or other Chinese telecom companies" and puts the company back on the sanctions list and "holds ZTE accountable for violating their previous commitment," Cotton said. The senators supporting the amendment include Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer and two Republican Senators -- Sen Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). "I and obviously every other senator believes the death penalty is the appropriate punishment for their behavior," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told reporters after Ross briefed senators on the department's latest ZTE action. "They're a repeat bad actor that should be put out of business. For eight years, ZTE was able to run wild and be able to become the fourth-largest telecom company in the world." If the Senate amendment becomes law, "I would expect there wouldn't be a ZTE," Cotton added.
Why allow Wells Fargo to live?
He did it to get a $500 million Chinese investment in a Trump property and some Chinese trademarks for Princess Ivanka.
What about the past year and a half could possibly make you think Trump cares anything about "American jobs"?
You are welcome on my lawn.
Wow, that is wrong.
If someone needs a phone and doesn't get it from ZTE, they will simply buy another brand. And since every phone has a SoC, the number of SoCs sold will remain about the same.
There is no reason at all to support ZTE. They flout US laws, and there are many, many competitors who will be happy to make phones for us while following US law.
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According to the latest ruleset, this post should be modded as Vorpal Flamebait +5.
They were filing bankruptcy in the wake of the initial sanctions. The problem is not only being shut out of their 2nd-largest market. Sanctions also prohibit US companies from selling to ZTE, which restricts their ability to acquire components.
Maybe ZTE could survive, but that is far from certain. They have strong domestic competitors in Huawei and Xiaomi, and both of those companies enjoy full access to Western suppliers and markets.
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According to the latest ruleset, this post should be modded as Vorpal Flamebait +5.
I don't know anything about Chinese trademark...
Manifestly not. I haven't really been following the story in detail, but I do know China. Ivanka's company had been trying to get that trademark for years, and the Chinese government was dragging its feet, then denying it, repeatedly. China's protectionism extends to all parts of their economy, including trademarks. They did not want to grant that trademark to a foreign-owned business. Them suddenly granting it is rather blatantly a payoff, under the circumstances.
So, what you're trying to say is that you don't have a single bit of evidence that Trump cares about American jobs.
Noted.
You are welcome on my lawn.
What exactly did Trump surrender to North Korea?
Legitimacy for a bloodthirsty despot. Next question?
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.