Huawei support for North Korea could put it back in the hot seat

If Huawei was hoping it is close to getting back into the US' good side, a new expose might put it back in trouble. The Chinese company has always been suspected of being a threat to the US' national security but, so far, it has been associated with China. This new report, however, claims that Huawei provided North Korea with equipment and technology, some of which have been sourced from the US, despite the US export ban on North Korea.

All of that was done in secret, which suggests that Huawei knew that its actions are at the very least questionable. It reportedly partnered with another Chinese firm by the name of Panda International Information Technology Co. Ltd. The two worked on different projects over the course of eight years that made tracking Huawei's involvement more difficult.

According to whistleblowers providing information to the Washington Post, Huawei helped build North Korea's commercial wireless network. That already might ruffle feathers considering the numerous international sanctions North Korea has received from various nations. The fact that those wireless technologies could then be used by the secretive regime to spy on its enemies makes Huawei's involvement makes it an accomplice in any violation North Korea will do from that.

What complicates matters for Huawei is that it was basically providing North Korea with US technologies. The US has imposed a ban from exporting its products to certain companies, including Iran and North Korea. That was the same violation that almost caused ZTE to go bankrupt from a different US sanction.

Huawei has always claimed innocence and accused the US of having no evidence behind its ban. This, however, could be the smoking gun that the US needs to make its case and fully keep Huawei out.