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Huawei Has Suspected Ties To Front Companies In Iran and Syria, New Documents Reveal (reuters.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: The U.S. case against the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies, who was arrested in Canada last month, centers on the company's suspected ties to two obscure companies. One is a telecom equipment seller that operated in Tehran; the other is that firm's owner, a holding company registered in Mauritius. U.S. authorities allege CFO Meng Wanzhou deceived international banks into clearing transactions with Iran by claiming the two companies were independent of Huawei, when in fact Huawei controlled them. Huawei has maintained the two are independent: equipment seller Skycom Tech Co Ltd and shell company Canicula Holdings Ltd. But corporate filings and other documents found by Reuters in Iran and Syria show that Huawei, the world's largest supplier of telecommunications network equipment, is more closely linked to both firms than previously known.
The documents reveal that a high-level Huawei executive appears to have been appointed Skycom's Iran manager. They also show that at least three Chinese-named individuals had signing rights for both Huawei and Skycom bank accounts in Iran. Reuters also discovered that a Middle Eastern lawyer said Huawei conducted operations in Syria through Canicula. Huawei, U.S. authorities assert, retained control of Skycom, using it to sell telecom equipment to Iran and move money out via the international banking system. As a result of the deception, U.S. authorities say, banks unwittingly cleared hundreds of millions of dollars of transactions that potentially violated economic sanctions Washington had in place at the time against doing business with Iran.
The documents reveal that a high-level Huawei executive appears to have been appointed Skycom's Iran manager. They also show that at least three Chinese-named individuals had signing rights for both Huawei and Skycom bank accounts in Iran. Reuters also discovered that a Middle Eastern lawyer said Huawei conducted operations in Syria through Canicula. Huawei, U.S. authorities assert, retained control of Skycom, using it to sell telecom equipment to Iran and move money out via the international banking system. As a result of the deception, U.S. authorities say, banks unwittingly cleared hundreds of millions of dollars of transactions that potentially violated economic sanctions Washington had in place at the time against doing business with Iran.
China can (and does) trade with Iran. The problem is corporations/individuals doing so can't also trade with the USA. Huawei did. The other execs shouldn't step a foot in any country with extradition treaty with the USA.
Is the real owner here. Any company that does business with China is subsidizing one of the most evil governments of all time. The ChiCom government is responsible for the mass murder of millions.
Corporatism != Free Market
If China wants to do something that's perfectly legal for them, US law doesn't "trump" it, even if that happens to be US president's name.
If it's any consolation, US retains the right to be salty about it, maybe break some agreements or something with China, but common.... we all know agreements with US aren't worth the ink or paper they're written with/on, as evidenced by their breaking of agreement with Iran anyway.
Just imagine if this critical eye was aimed at, say, American arms dealers. Or the Bush and Clinton families. Or all the high profile politicians like Howard Dean and Tom Ridge who have been PR flacks for groups on the State Department's list as terrorists:
https://www.salon.com/2012/02/...
Depends on the technology licenses. If that equipment contained any US export controlled technology, then yes heads will roll.
After all, ZTE was basically given the death sentence by being barred from buying US technology for re-selling the technology to restricted countries. At least, until the President was handed some half billion dollars of "investment" and China granting them rare and valuable trademark protection. Not just one, but several more later on.
This was not about America telling them that they were under sanctions.
This was about Huawei buying American parts after promising to NOT sell them to a number of nations, including Iran/Syria.
Then they turned around and have worked hard to hide the fact that they are not just selling the parts to Iran, but working with them and syria, etc to use it against the west.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.