Lawmaker Asks Mnuchin Why Treasury Isn't Tougher on Huawei
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who was testifying in front of the Senate Banking Committee May 19, was asked by Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., why the government hasn't placed sanctions on Huawei. He said that Huawei and some other Chinese companies aren't really private-sector firms, and that they were built by stealing American intellectual property.
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Mnuchin responded that he worked very closely with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on the issue of forced technology transfers in China, and that Huawei is discussed on an interagency basis. He said he doesn't comment on future sanctions actions. Sasse said that while he's glad it's a topic for interagency discussion, the U.S. has had agreements with China, but they almost never have teeth. He acknowledged that “Lighthizer has been a little bit of a pitbull,” but suggested he's still not satisfied with that level of action. Sasse said, “This is an increasingly bipartisan issue that Republicans and Democrats believe it's important to hold these faux private companies to account.”