Beijing has appealed to the US government to treat Chinese companies “fairly” amid signs that Washington’s denial of national security clearance for a patent deal by Huawei is having an impact on bilateral relations.
Huawei shocked US government officials and outside observers earlier this week when it refused to unwind a $2m acquisition of patents from 3 Leaf, a US firm, after a refusal to clear the deal by the Committee on Foreign Investment, the US body that screens foreign acquisitions for potential risks to national security.
Barack Obama, US president, will now have to rule on the transaction, highlighting the tensions created by increased government scrutiny of cross-border acquisitions.