A Huawei spokesperson said in September 2026 that the company's success came from long-term investment in innovation backed by the utmost respect for intellectual property.

backed by the utmost respect for intellectual property

About: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Claim made by: South China Morning Post, company statement
Published: 10 September 2026
Original: Huawei goes on trial in US for racketeering after nearly decade of litigation
Evidence score: 52 How it was scored
Last reviewed: 25 October 2026

Why this label

The statement is the company's description of its own culture and the reasons for its success^S5. Words like the utmost respect are evaluative and cannot be checked as fact. The factual question behind it, whether Huawei conspired to steal trade secrets, is the subject of the pending trial^S2^S5. The defence told the jury there was no blueprint for crime^S6. The prosecution alleges the opposite^S2. Until a verdict, the record cannot test the statement, and the wording itself is an opinion.

Current procedural position

Statement made as a jury trial opened in September 2026, verdict pending as of 25 October 2026^S5^S7.

Record supporting the assessment

Long-term investment in innovation, backed by the utmost respect for intellectual property

^S5 Tier C South China Morning Post, republished by The Star, Huawei goes on trial in US for racketeering after nearly decade of litigation, 10 September 2026

There was no blueprint for crime.

^S6 Tier C Associated Press, republished by The Gleaner, Huawei racketeering trial opens in New York with duelling accounts, 11 September 2026

Conflicting or limiting record

conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)

^S2 Tier A US Department of Justice, Chinese Telecommunications Conglomerate Huawei and Subsidiaries Charged in Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets, 13 February 2020

Evidence score: 52 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

Component	Points	Max	Reason
Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition?	12	30	A company statement reported by the press.
DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts?	14	20	The quote is reported directly, but its terms are evaluative.
CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point?	6	15	Only the defence's openings echo it.
Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes?	3	15	The related charges are untried.
CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments?	9	10	Checked against September 2026 trial reports.
ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment?	8	10	The report is public online.
Total	52	100

Timeline

13 February 2020Trade secret conspiracy charged^S2
10 September 2026Huawei spokesperson statement reported as trial opens^S5

Related cases

United States v. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., et al.US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Criminal. 18-CR-457 (AMD).Stage: Jury trial under way since 9 September 2026 before Judge Ann M. Donnelly. Verdict pending as of 25 October 2026^S7.
- 4 September 2026 Two sanctions counts dropped in a pre-trial filing, as reported^S5. The docket entry was not reachable.
- 9 September 2026 Trial opens^S6^S7

Revision history

25 October 2026 Assessment first published with label Opinion.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

S5Tier C Huawei goes on trial in US for racketeering after nearly decade of litigationSouth China Morning Post, republished by The Star. Press report. 10 September 2026.Reports jury selection from 8 September 2026, a pre-trial filing dated 4 September 2026 dropping two counts, 12 remaining counts and Huawei statements. No individual byline is shown. The filing itself was not read.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S6Tier C Huawei racketeering trial opens in New York with duelling accountsAssociated Press, republished by The Gleaner. Press report. 11 September 2026.Associated Press report on opening statements by both sides. No individual reporter is named. It does not report any verdict.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S2Tier A Chinese Telecommunications Conglomerate Huawei and Subsidiaries Charged in Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiracy to Steal Trade SecretsUS Department of Justice. Regulator press release. 13 February 2020.Supports the superseding indictment's RICO and trade secret counts. The charges are allegations.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S7Tier C Why have US prosecutors labelled China’s Huawei a criminal enterprise?Al Jazeera, with AP and Reuters. Press report. 20 September 2026.Reports the trial start on 9 September 2026, the not-guilty plea and an expected length of about three months. It reports no verdict.Link working, checked 25 October 2026

Other claims about Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Unresolved73
US prosecutors allege that Huawei committed bank fraud and sanctions violations tied to Iran and took part in a racketeering conspiracy that included theft of trade secrets.
Regulator statement, 13 February 20206 records citedFraud
Outdated87
The Justice Department announced in January 2019 that Huawei's CFO Wanzhou Meng was charged with bank fraud and wire fraud.
Regulator statement, 28 January 20193 records citedCorporate status