CIA Headquarters- Image from the Library of Congress

The United States government and Chinese telecommunications company Huawei have a strained relationship. The US Department of Justice and various member of Congress have accused Huawei of spying on behalf of the Chinese government and committing a variety of crimes, while Huawei has accused the US government of launching a smear campaign. Now the United States Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) has thrown its hat into the ring. The CIA claims that Huawei is directly funded by the Chinese government.The National Defense Authorization Act prohibits American government agencies from using products from Huawei and their smaller competitor ZTE . Huawei has been accused of spying on behalf of the Chinese government, while ZTE illegally sold American goods to Iran and North Korea. President Trump has since considered signing an executive order that would ban any Chinese telecommunications equipment from being used in American networks. The US government has also tried to persuade other countries and companies against using Huawei or ZTE products.The CIA has now confirmed what the US Congress and Department of Justice have long suspected. The CIA insists that Huawei has received funding from China’s National Security Commission, the People’s Liberation Army, and the Chinese state intelligence network. The CIA has reportedly shared its evidence with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Australia and New Zealand have already banned various Chinese telecommunication products, while the UK and Canada have yet to make a final decision.A Huawei representative remarked that the company does not “comment on unsubstantiated allegations backed up by zero evidence from anonymous sources.” The company has also attempted to refute past claims. They insist that the US has a “ loser attitude ” and has unfairly targeted Huawei. Huawei insists that the current National Defense Authorization Act ban is unconstitutional and they are suing the US government Huawei has also been under fire for other potential crimes . The US Department of Justice claims that Huawei stole trade secrets from T-Mobile , committed wire fraud, and obstructed justice. Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was also arrested this past December on charges of bank and wire fraud.It is currently unclear how any of these court cases will pan out. What is clear is that the US does not want Huawei technology anywhere near their fledgling 5G network. The US will meet with other world leaders next month in Prague to discuss the future of 5G and the adoption of security measures that would prevent espionage.