A salesman stands at a counter selling cellphones produced by ZTE at an appliance store in 2012 in China. The announcement by the fourth-largest Chinese smartphone maker comes amid an escalating trade battle between the United States and China. ZTE's troubles with the U.S. government are also playing out amid broader fears of an ascendant Chinese tech industry. Conversely, the Trump administration may use ZTE to underscore how seriously it is taking the perceived threat of China and foreign tech competition. “Clearly, ZTE seems to be the most visible causality in what I think is a growing tech conflict.”

Source: Washington Post May 10, 2018 16:06 UTC