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China's government voiced its support for Huawei's legal challenge against the U.S. on Friday, saying the technology firm has the right to refuse to be "victimized like silent lambs." Huawei filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming that a ban on U.S. government agencies buying its telecommunication equipment is unconstitutional. Wang Yi, China's top diplomat, said the regime in Beijing backs the company's legal battle. "China has and will continue to take all necessary measures to resolutely protect the legitimate and lawful interests of Chinese businesses and citizens," Wang said, according to an official translation of a Mandarin comment made during a Friday address. "At the same time, we support the company and individual in question in seeking legal redress to protect their own interests and refusing to be victimized like silent lambs," he added to the statement made during China's National People's Congress, a big annual event at which Beijing formally announces major policy elements such as economic growth targets.

The "company and individual" in question refer to Huawei and the company's Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada in December and is facing extradition to the U.S. The U.S. has accused her of fraud. Huawei's lawsuit against the U.S. government focuses on a particular section of the National Defense Authorization Act, which prohibits government agencies from procuring Huawei gear. Huawei, along with rival ZTE, is explicitly named in that the law. The company's lawyers want that provision, known as Section 889, scrapped in the hope that it could help restart talks with the U.S. government. Meanwhile, Meng's lawyers are now suing Canadian authorities, alleging they arrested, detained and searched her in violation of her constitutional rights.