Rubio stated that ZTE should be forbidden to do business. He said that the U.S. should make no deal with a company that’s associated with the Communist party and the Chinese government. Rubio said that the company engineers its products to steal from and spy on Americans, a practice that caused its phones and telecom equipment to be banned from U.S. military bases earlier this year.
A person familiar with the matter said that a photograph had circulated among ZTE employees through the night. The photograph showed the new chief executive of ZTE and 10 other managers all giving a thumbs-up to the news.
ZTE’s Response
ZTE declined to comment on anything. The company relies on components from the United States for its networking gear and smartphones. After the government announced the ban in April, the company stopped all of its major operations.
U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted in May that he had banned ZTE, but that he would like to see the company continue for the sake of its many employees. However, the government and ZTE had not reached an agreement until now.
