Huawei Technologies, a leading Chinese technology company, is set to face a criminal racketeering trial in New York. The charges include allegations of technology theft, plotting to steal U.S. trade secrets, and committing wire and bank fraud.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday. According to the indictment, Huawei and some of its subsidiaries are accused of conducting business in North Korea despite U.S. sanctions and installing surveillance equipment that aided Iran in monitoring anti-government protests in 2009.

Huawei's legal team has sought to dismiss the case, contending that the U.S. allegations are too vague and inappropriately extend American jurisdiction internationally. The company has stated that the accusations made by U.S. prosecutors are "demonstrably false." Huawei asserts that its business success is driven by "long-term investment in innovation, backed by the utmost respect for intellectual property."

Previously, during former President Donald Trump's administration, national security concerns were raised regarding Huawei. Western allies were lobbied against incorporating the company's products into their next-generation wireless networks. The U.S. unsealed the criminal charges in early 2019, and the allegations have since been broadened.

Chinese officials have characterized the U.S. government's actions as "economic bullying," using national security as a pretext to "oppress Chinese companies."

U.S. prosecutors specifically accused Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company, Skycom, to sell equipment to Iran in violation of sanctions. The company's former chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was also charged with fraud for allegedly misleading HSBC bank about Huawei's business dealings in Iran.

Meng, who is the daughter of Huawei's founder, was arrested in Canada in late 2018 based on a U.S. extradition request. She was released in September 2021 as part of a prisoner exchange that secured the release of two Canadians detained in China. Following her release, she returned to China. As part of that agreement, the U.S. withdrew its extradition request and stated its intention to drop the fraud charges against Meng.

Huawei, the world's largest supplier of telecommunications network equipment, has faced challenges maintaining its market share due to sanctions that restrict its access to U.S. processor chips and other technologies. These limitations have prompted the company to increase its own development in areas such as computer chips and advanced technologies.