back to article ZTE-gads! Chinese giant fined $900m by Uncle Sam for Iran trade deals

Chinese giant ZTE has been fined $900m by the US government for skirting trade blocks by selling comms hardware to Iran. Today in a Texas district court, ZTE pleaded guilty to busting sanctions, obstructing justice, and lying to investigators. The corp has also settled out of court with the US Department of Commerce, and the …

  1. Youngone Silver badge
    Pint

    I wonder what will happen when a huge Chinese company tells the US to go suck a fat one when these sort of charges are bought.

    At some stage it might happen, and then things will get interesting.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    it's possible but highly unlikely. the Chinese company would have to be willing to forgo the entire US market.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "it's possible but highly unlikely. the Chinese company would have to be willing to forgo the entire US market."

      More to the point, the Chinese company would have to build it's products without any chips made by US, European, Taiwanese, Japanese or Korean companies, as those companies would have to refuse to sell to the Chinese company.

      China - A country unencumbered by ethics.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "China - A country unencumbered by ethics."

        Feel free to substitute the word China with USA, UK or a large number of first world nations.

        Last time I looked, "we" are more than happy to sell arms to dictatorships and oppressive regimes.

        1. Trigonoceps occipitalis

          "Last time I looked, "we" are more than happy to sell arms to dictatorships and oppressive regimes."

          Yes, but they're our dictatorships and oppressive regimes, bought and paid for - this can be a problem because someone with deeper pockets may always come along.

  3. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge

    Not yet guilty

    If Iran got anything like my ZTE phone, they're still about 10 software updates away from the hardware working as promised.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Make America great again....

    .... by banning the sale of US-made components thus encouraging manufacturers to develop / switch to non-US suppliers.

    This decision probably has nothing to do with Trump, but perhaps he should review what technology is on on the banned list.

    1. Number6

      Re: Make America great again....

      Isn't that what happened with encryption technology? The US prohibited exports so the rest of the world just got on with their own.

  5. MrT

    وای نه. ما واقعا به دنبال به جلو به که روتر

    Don't worry - TalkTalk have a bunch of really good routers that they can let you have...

    1. Scott 26

      Re: وای نه. ما واقعا به دنبال به جلو به که روتر

      Google suggests it should be: وای نه. ما واقعا به دنبال به جلو به یک روتر

      "a" router, not "that" router....

      ahhh, what an age we live in :)

  6. Anonymous Coward
  7. Andy The Hat Silver badge

    "ZTE acknowledges the mistakes it made..."

    Deliberate cover-ups, passing equipment via multiple subsidiaries and actively passing materials to more than one banned state ... sound like the only "mistake" ZTE acknowledges is getting caught ...

  8. Potemkine Silver badge

    "ZTE acknowledges the mistakes it made, takes responsibility for them".

    Quite a rare discourse from a company, when the general policy is to blame some scapegoat and if possible someone lower in the management chain.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "ZTE acknowledges the mistakes it made, takes responsibility for them".

      "Quite a rare discourse from a company" unless ofc they see it as advertising

  9. ps2os2

    Where is the Russian - Trump connection?

    We know that Trump is entangled in the Russian Mob who is also involved with the Iranian guard in Azerbaijan, I am surprised that you didn't tie in the connection or is this the first layer of the onion to unpeel?

    I want to know how a yearly salary of $12,000 (US) got to be a billionaire.

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