Jury selection opens in US racketeering trial against Huawei over technology theft

Jury selection began in a US federal racketeering trial against Huawei, marking the opening of court proceedings that follow nearly a decade of legal disputes between Washington and the Chinese telecommunications company.

US District Judge Ann M. Donnelly of the Eastern District of New York instructed potential jurors to remain "fair and impartial," emphasising that "China and the Communist Party … are not on trial" and cautioning that the ongoing US-Iran conflict should not influence their judgment.

Charges span two decades

The Shenzhen-based company faces 14 counts, including bank fraud, wire fraud, trade secret theft, and racketeering, with the alleged criminal activity dating back to 1999. Huawei has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

American prosecutors accuse the tech giant of engineering a racketeering conspiracy to steal American technology and unfairly gain an industry advantage.

Company denies allegations

Huawei rejected the government's case in a statement, calling the US government's "overarching narrative" demonstrably false. The company pointed to its recent performance, including US$126 billion in global sales revenue last year, its best result in nearly five years, as evidence that its successes stem from its own research and development efforts.

The trial opens as Huawei remains at the centre of geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing over technology dominance and national security concerns.

Source: South China Morning Post