The US government on Thursday added fresh charges to its case against Chinese smartphone maker Huawei Technologies Co that has angered China and hurt US-Chinese diplomatic relations.
The superseding indictment, which was filed in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charges Huawei with conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and to steal trade secrets from six US technology companies in order to grow the company.
It also contains new allegations about the company's involvement in countries subject to sanctions, such as Iran and North Korea.
Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker, pleaded not guilty last year to an indictment unsealed against the company in January 2019, charging it with bank and wire fraud, violating sanctions against Iran, and obstructing justice.
Its Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in December 2018 in Canada on charges in that indictment. She has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition.
In the earlier indictment, Meng and Huawei are accused of conspiring to defraud HSBC and other banks by misrepresenting Huawei's relationship with a company that operated in Iran.
The trade secret theft charges in the superseding indictment relate to internet router source code, cellular antenna technology and robotics.
Neither Huawei nor a lawyer for Meng immediately responded to requests for comment on the superseding indictment.
