U.S. moves high-level U.S. meeting on China tech,
possible new Huawei curbs to March: sources
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[February 29, 2020] By
Karen Freifeld and Mike Stone
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Trump
administration officials have rescheduled for March 11 a critical
meeting to discuss potential new U.S. restrictions on sales of
technology to Huawei and China, people familiar with the matter said.
The cabinet-level meeting had been set for Friday but was postponed.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo, and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin are among
those expected to attend the meeting, now scheduled for next month, the
people said.
Deputies from numerous agencies met to discuss the agenda last week but
gave no recommendations on how to handle various proposals tied to
China, Huawei's telecommunications equipment and commercial aircraft
parts, the people said.
One outcome was clear after President Donald Trump's tweets last week
blasting a proposal to prevent General Electric Co from selling engines
for China's new passenger jet. As a senior U.S. official told Reuters,
the Commerce Department "fully intends" to comply with the president's
directive to allow the sales. GE produces the engines with France's
Safran .
The White House National Security Council did not respond to a request
for comment. Huawei has said it does not comment on speculation.
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The U.S. flag and a smartphone with the Huawei and 5G network logo
are seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration taken January 29,
2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The people with knowledge of the matter spoke on condition of anonymity because
the government deliberations are not public. The commerce, state, defense and
treasury departments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Among topics on the agenda for the meeting are ways to expand U.S. authority to
stop more foreign shipments of products with U.S. technology to Huawei
Technologies Ltd. The possible changes are designed to address frustration by
some in the administration that the company's placement on a U.S. trade
blacklist in May failed to cut off supplies to the world's largest
telecommunications equipment maker.
The United States says Huawei is involved in activities contrary to national
security and foreign policy interests. Huawei denies the claims.
Reuters reported exclusively in November that Washington was considering
altering rules to expand its power to restrict the foreign shipment of products
with U.S. technology to Huawei.
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld and Mike Stone; Additional reporting by Alexandra
Alper in Washington; Editing by Chris Sanders and Tom Brown)
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