Trump traps Huawei between Beijing and a marketplace

Trump’s move to prevent U.S. technology firms from supporting Huawei’s product line is leaving the Chinese company with no room to maneuver.

Huawei’s basic problem is that it is both a commercial company and a state-directed intelligence actor. Provided with intellectual property that China’s intelligence services have stolen, supported by funding from Beijing, and directed toward gaining covert access into Western telecommunications networks, Huawei cannot stop being Beijing’s toy. But it cannot be both Beijing’s toy and a successful business.