Prosecutors in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday portrayed Huawei Technologies as a longstanding criminal enterprise that looted US companies and manipulated the American financial system to expand its telecommunications business.
"Theft, lies, cover-up," said Taylor Stout, a trial attorney with the US Department of Justice, in the government’s opening statement. "For 20 years, that’s how Huawei, a massive Chinese telecommunications company, victimized American companies and abused the American financial system, all in an effort to dominate the telecommunications industry around the world."
Prosecutors said the evidence they will present is intended to show a pattern of deception and illicit activity stretching back two decades. The charges and the government's framing, delivered at the start of the trial in federal court in Brooklyn, signal an aggressive effort by US authorities to hold the company accountable for alleged misconduct tied to its global rise.
In response, Huawei’s defence rejected the criminal characterisation. Lawyers for the company argued the proceedings reflect competitive tensions in the telecommunications market rather than a criminal conspiracy, summarising the defence theme as: "It's about competition, not conspiracy."
The trial, which has drawn attention from industry observers and policymakers, comes amid broader concerns about technology competition and security between the US and China. While the court will weigh the legal arguments and evidence presented by both sides, the opening statements made clear the case will focus on whether Huawei’s business practices crossed the line into criminality or were the result of hard-fought commercial rivalry.