China Pushes for Huawei to Be Included in Deal, Despite Trump's Objections

China said it will continue to push for Huawei to be included in any potential U.S.-China trade deal, despite President Donald Trump saying the U.S. does not want to discuss Huawei in negotiations. “China’s position is clear. It is hoped that the U.S. will stop using the national power to suppress the wrong practices of Chinese enterprises in the name of national security,” China’s Ministry of Commerce spokesman said Sept. 5, according to an unofficial translation of a transcript from a press conference.

Speaking with reporters on Sept. 4, Trump said that Huawei is a “big concern of our military” and called for an end to all U.S. business with the Chinese tech giant. “Huawei has been not a player that we want to discuss, we want to talk about, right now,” Trump said. “We’re not going to be doing business with Huawei.”

Trump said all U.S. business with Huawei will “stop almost completely in a very short period of time.” The Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security on Aug. 19 renewed the temporary general license for Huawei until Nov. 18 and added 46 more of the company’s non-U.S. affiliates to the Entity List (see 1908190039). Trade experts have said a U.S. and China trade deal will likely have to include fewer restrictions on Huawei for China to accept it (see 1907180033).