Huawei is the world's No. 1 telecom supplier and No. 2 phone manufacturer, but it's a pariah in countries like the US -- to the point that the FBI reportedly set up a sting at CES 2019. Over the course of 2019, there was an upswing in scrutiny of the Chinese telecom giant, with a number of countries banning the use of its networking equipment. Its chairman has predicted that a 2020 will be "difficult" for the company. Its phones are virtually invisible in the US despite its massive presence around the world, writes Sean Keane.
Huawei has long denied any wrongdoing and continues to maintain its innocence.
The core issue with Huawei has been concerns about its coziness with the Chinese government and fears that its equipment could be used to spy on other countries and companies. It's the reason why the US banned companies from using Huawei networking equipment in 2012 and why the company was added to the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List in May, following an executive order from President Donald Trump effectively banning Huawei from US communications networks.
The US offered a temporary reprieve to companies, allowing them to work with Huawei until August. That reprieve was extended to November and then to February 2020.
