Huawei charges may force China to grant concessions at trade talks with US

But observers say charges against Huawei are unlikely to derail critical trade negotiations

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US Secretary Treasury Steven Mnuchin reiterated Tuesday that the charges levied against Chinese telecom giant Huawei, its subsidiaries, and CFO Meng Wanzhou are not part of the Trump Administration's attempt to sway trade talks with Beijing.
A guilty verdict might convince more countries to exclude Huawei equipment in their 5G roll-out, say technology analysts. PHOTO: AFP
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Fresh criminal charges brought against Huawei and its financial chief Meng Wanzhou will factor in the two-day trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing starting today, and may even force China's hand in granting certain concessions.

But they will not derail the critical talks aimed at reconciling deep differences between the two largest economies in the world, said analysts.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 30, 2019, with the headline Huawei charges may force China to grant concessions at trade talks with US. Subscribe