China Decries US Ban on Chinese Firms As ‘Abuse of State Power’
China on Thursday denounced rules unveiled by the U.S. that ban technology giant Huawei and other Chinese firms from government contracts as “abuse of state power” in the latest move in the escalating China-U.S. trade war. The interim rule, which will preclude any U.S. federal agency from purchasing telecom or technology equipment from the firms, is part of a sweeping effort by Washington to restrict Huawei, which officials claim is linked to Chinese intelligence. “The abuse of state power by the United States to unscrupulously and deliberately throw mud at and suppress specific Chinese enterprises seriously undermines the image of the United States and its own interests,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. “We firmly support the relevant Chinese companies in taking up legal weapons to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests,” she said in an online statement. The ban on Chinese tech firms comes amid a heated dispute between the two economic powers over international trade rules. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on another $300 billion in Chinese imports and formally branded Beijing as a currency manipulator on Monday, in response to a drop in value of the yuan. Huawei also faces moves from …