US charges against Huawei are not directly tied to trade negotiations with Beijing, expert says

Even though Huawei is not a state-owned company, it has received a great deal of financial support from Beijing, according to Capri.

China responded to the U.S. charges against Huawei, calling it “unfair” and “immoral,” Reuters reported.

Huawei, which is leading China’s efforts to build the next generation of high-speed mobile internet known as 5G, is “incredibly vulnerable” and still reliant on the Western expertise to build the infrastructure needed to roll out the new technology, according to Capri. “Beijing is treading very carefully here.”

Williams pointed out it’s important to separate Monday’s charges against Huawei from the “broader national security-related concerns with respect to Huawei’s role in 5G.”

The Trump administration has reportedly been pressuring U.S. allies to bar Huawei and other Chinese tech firms from building 5G infrastructure.

— CNBC’s Kate Fazzini contributed to this report.