Jurisdiction in Huawei executive's case for US judge to decide: Canada

Canada's attorney general on Thursday fired back at defense accusations of US jurisdictional overreach in Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou's extradition case, saying the issue is ultimately for a trial judge to decide.

Meng's lawyers argued this week that her alleged crimes took place in Hong Kong and had no direct link to the United States.

If Canada sends her to the United States to face trial on bank fraud and conspiracy charges, they further argued, it would be violating international law on legal jurisdictions.

Canadian government lawyer Robert Frater said the jurisdiction matter must be left to Canada's justice minister -- who has the final say on extraditions -- and a US trial judge.

"This is a matter that can really only be properly litigated before a US trial judge," Frater said, adding that the defense arguments' "flaws run so wide and so deep I scarcely know where to begin."

For more than two years, the Chinese businesswoman has been fighting being sent to the United States, which alleges she misled investment bank HSBC by distancing Huawei from its subsidiary Skycom and its activities in Iran that breached US sanctions.

Both Meng and Huawei deny any wrongdoing.

Meng arrest lawful 

The defense also conceded this week that Canada's arrest of Meng was required under its extradition treaty with the United States, but with hindsight, she should now be released.

"Ms. Meng's detention was required by the extradition treaty, so it can't be regarded as unlawful initially," said defense lawyer Gib van Ert. "What we're saying now is the detention is revealed now to be unlawful... (because) it is founded on the unlawfulness of the extradition request itself."

Van Ert said that HSBC's US$2 million in loans after Meng's meeting with HSBC executives at a Hong Kong tea room did not cause any US harm.

"How much impact did these transactions actually have on the US financial system?" asked van Ert. "In my submission, the answer is... very nearly no impact as a percentage.

"Had someone just flown to London and paid cash, we wouldn't be here because there would be no connection to the US at all."

Canada's lawyer countered that countries can prosecute crimes committed internationally if there is any impact on them and that HSBC was put at risk because it continued providing banking services to Huawei and Skycom based on Meng's assurances.

Meng's "lies in the tea room have a consequence: the creation of legal risk that takes place in the United States and gives the requesting state the ability to prosecute," Frater said.

Meng will next appear on April 26. Her extradition hearings are scheduled to end on May 14, barring appeals.

Agence France-Presse

Mahathir says Malaysia will use Huawei 'as much as possible'

TOKYO, Japan — Malaysia will continue using Huawei products "as much as possible," bucking a global trend prompted by security concerns and a US ban on the Chinese firm, the country's prime minister said Thursday.

Mahathir Mohamad, speaking at a conference in Tokyo, acknowledged the security concerns but said they would not deter Malaysia.


"Yes, there may be some spying. But what is there to spy (on) exactly in Malaysia? We are an open book," the 93-year-old said at the Future of Asia forum.

Mahathir said Huawei had access to research "far bigger than the whole of Malaysia's research equivalent."

"So we try to make use of their technology as much as possible."

"Everybody knows, if any country wants to invade Malaysia, they can walk through, and we will not resist because it's a waste of time," he added.

His comment came after a wave of controversy over the Chinese telecommunications firm, which has been hit by allegations of espionage and faces a US ban.

A number of countries have blocked Huawei from working on their mobile networks and companies have stepped back from the firm after the US ban, citing legal requirements.

The spat comes as the United States and China raise tariffs in tit-for-tat moves along with blistering rhetoric accusing each other of unfair trade practices.

Mahathir warned about the heated exchanges between Beijing and Washington, which come as the powers and their allies lock horns in the hotly contested South China Sea.

Mahathir said the United States and "the West" must accept that Asian nations now produce competitive products, and should not "threaten" business rivals.

"Yes, I understand Huawei has tremendous advance(s) over American technology even," he said.

"The US must compete with China. At times China will win, other times the US will win," he said.

He warned that the tense relations between the US and China might impact the situation in the South China Sea, where China claims sovereignty despite rival claims from other regional nations.

And he urged calm in the area, warning that small incidents could easily escalate into violence.

source: philstar.com

US in criminal probe of China's Huawei: report

WASHINGTON, United States — US authorities are in the "advanced" stages of a criminal probe that could result in an indictment of Chinese technology giant Huawei, a report said Wednesday.

The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources, said the Justice Department is looking into allegations of theft of trade secrets from Huawei's US business partners, including a T-Mobile robotic device used to test smartphones.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the report and Huawei did not respond to a request for comment.


The move would further escalate tensions between the US and China after the arrest last year in Canada of Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who is the daughter of the company founder.

The case of Meng, under house arrest awaiting proceedings, has inflamed US-China and Canada-China relations.

Ottawa has said 13 Canadians have since been detained by Beijing, including one sentenced to death on drug trafficking charges.

Huawei, the second-largest global smartphone maker and biggest producer of telecommunications equipment, has for years been under scrutiny in the US over purported links to the Chinese government.

Huawei's reclusive founder Ren Zhengfei, in a rare media interview Tuesday, forcefully denied accusations that his firm engaged in espionage on behalf of the Chinese government.

The tensions come amid a backdrop of President Donald Trump's efforts to get more manufacturing on US soil and slap hefty tariffs on Chinese goods for what he claims are unfair trade practices by Beijing.

In a related move, lawmakers introduced a bill to ban the export of American parts and components to Chinese telecom companies that are in violation of US export control or sanctions laws -- with Huawei and fellow Chinese firm ZTE the likely targets.

"Huawei is effectively an intelligence-gathering arm of the Chinese Communist Party whose founder and CEO was an engineer for the People's Liberation Army," said Republican Senator Tom Cotton, one of the bill's sponsors.

Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said in the same statement: "Huawei and ZTE are two sides of the same coin. Both companies have repeatedly violated US laws, represent a significant risk to American national security interests and need to be held accountable."

Last year, Trump reached a deal with ZTE that eases tough financial penalties on the firm for helping Iran and North Korea evade American sanctions.

Trump said his decision in May to spare ZTE came following an appeal by Chinese President Xi Jinping to help save Chinese jobs.

source: philstar.com

Facebook data scandal

Facebook says it will end its data partnership with Huawei by the end of this week following a backlash over the Chinese phone maker's access to Facebook user data.

Huawei, a company flagged by U.S. intelligence officials as a national security threat, is the latest device maker at the center of a fresh wave of allegations over Facebook's handling of private data.

Facebook said earlier this week that Chinese firms Huawei, Lenovo, Oppo and TCL were among numerous handset makers that were given access to Facebook data in a "controlled" way approved by the social media giant.

Huawei said Wednesday it has never collected or stored Facebook user data. Huawei spokesman Joe Kelly said in a text message that the arrangement was about making Facebook services more convenient for users. — AP

source: philstar.com

Here’s how you can get first dibs on the Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design

MANILA, Philippines — Images of Huawei’s upcoming flagship smartphone has surfaced on the Internet recently and everyone — even the most discerning mobile consumers — is becoming more impatient for its worldwide release.

There’s a good reason why. Carrying the iconic Porsche Design brand, the newest smartphone in the Huawei Mate 10 series is luxurious, powerful and exclusive.

But what’s really special about this smartphone? A lot.

Just from its name, expect the Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design to sport a luxurious feel. With the aesthetic of Porsche Design, it is constructed with glass uni-body and handcrafted exterior. It is available exclusively in Diamond Black so it looks even more sophisticated.

Inside this sleek phone is an equally impressive memory cortex. Combining 6GB RAM with 256GB ROM, it is officially the highest spec smartphone in the Huawei Mate 10 series.

Another thing to watch out for in the Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design is its use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, engineered for an outstanding smartphone experience.

With the Kirin 970 AI chipset under its hood, the smartphone can learn and adjust its functions to its user’s lifestyle and at blazing speeds. If you like taking pictures, the camera can intelligently detect numerous objects and scenes and automatically adjust the settings to capture amazing images. If you’re a power user on the other hand, the device can optimize its efficiency for the best multi-tasking experience.

The AI technology allows the Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design to learn your behavior and to evolve around how you use your phone.

Convinced? Well, here’s the good news. Soon, select Filipinos can get their hands on this game-changing smartphone — a source told Philstar.com. He added that Globe will release 20 units, available only to Platinum subscribers.

For now we await the release of Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Design through Globe Platinum. Visit www.consumer.huawei.com/en/phones/porsche-design-mate10/ for more information.

source: philstar.com

Image is all for Huawei’s new P9 smartphone flagship

LONDON — China’s Huawei Technologies presented its latest flagship smartphone on Wednesday, featuring a dual-lens camera co-engineered with Germany’s Leica that it hopes will set it apart from all the other Android devices on the market.

The P9, Huawei’s flagship device, is the first result of the tie-up between the world’s third biggest smartphone maker and Leica Camera AG, a 102-year-old firm whose cameras have shot some of the most famous images in the history of photography.

Huawei said consumers were increasingly focused on the photographic capability of smartphones, and the company wanted to partner the best in the field.

“Leica is the leading, premium iconic brand in cameras,” Richard Yu, chief executive of Huawei Consumer Business Group, said at a launch event in London.

The dual-lens 12 megapixel camera on the rear of the device separately captures monochrome and color images, and combines them to create more detail, depth and brighter colors than rival single lens cameras, he said.

Leica said the collaboration went far beyond just branding, with the two companies working together on lenses and image processing technology.

“A lot of people would like to have our red dot and put it on their product,” said Leica’s Chief Executive Oliver Kaltner.

“This is not what we are. We are the center of optical excellence worldwide, and we should take advantage of that knowledge.”

Photography dominated the event as professional snappers including Mary McCartney and David Guttenfelder from National Geographic took to the stage to show what the device could do.

There was little fanfare for other features, like a 5.2 inch display and Android 6.0 operating system, that are largely in line with launches from rivals such as Samsung and Xiaomi.

The P9 will be available in 29 countries from April 16, priced from 599 euros ($684), the company said.

Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner, said Huawei’s technology was “great” but the company needed to innovate in areas like software to become a trend setter.

“They need users to pick the brand or upgrade within the brand from maybe a mid-tier, and the more they go into the premium end, the more they have to stand out as an overall experience,” she said.

Huawei, which leads the pack of Chinese smartphone makers, however is confident the P9 will help it gain ground on market leader in terms of volume Samsung and second-placed Apple.

It became the first Chinese company to ship more than 100 million smartphones, recording a 44 percent jump in devices to 108 million last year.

“We have the chance to be number two within two to three years, with market share of over 20 percent,” Yu said. “We have the chance to be number one in less than five years.”

source: interaksyon.com

MWC 2016 | Here is Huawei’s 2-in-1 style laptop

BARCELONA, Spain — Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei launched a 2-in-1 product that combines the mobility of a smartphone and productivity of a laptop at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona on Sunday, marking the firm’s latest step to expand its consumer business.

The device, called the Huawei MateBook, retails from 799 euros in the European market and 699 U.S. dollars in the U.S. market. It will be made available across international markets from April onwards through both retail and e-commerce channels.

The core device of the MateBook is a tablet with a detachable keyboard much like Apple’s iPad Pro, and runs Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows 10.

It weighs 640 grams, compared to 713 grams for Apple’s iPad Pro and the 766 grams of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4, both of which are portable tablets known for their lightweight design. It has a 12-inch screen.

The Huawei MateBook has a high-density lithium battery, which lasts for 10 hours once fully charged. The product features a sixth generation Intel Core m-series processor aimed at handling the most rigorous business demands.

Built to operate on Windows 10, the MateBook also delivers tools and features offered by Microsoft Corp, including its latest browser, Microsoft Edge, and the Cortana digital personal assistant.

“We have decided to launch this product to answer the needs of business users. What makes our MateBook unique are are its compatibility and huge variety of functions,” said Glory Zhang, chief marketing officer of Huawei Consumer Business.

Although MateBook is being launched later than other comparable tablets, Zhang said it is no cause for concern because Huawei’s strategy is to bring to market products once the technology involved can best satisfy consumer needs.

“We are not so concerned about being the first in a market. For example, when we launched our smartphone, the market was already filled with many smartphone makers, but our high quality allowed us to win market share.”

“We have made good use of cutting edge technologies that we developed for our smartphone in our MateBook, which gives us a competitive strength,” Zhang says.

Huawei, founded in Shenzhen in 1987, has three core business areas. Its carrier business provides telecommunications services to operators like O2 and Telefonica, and it provides telecommunications services to corporate clients. Its third business area is consumer products.

In recent years its consumer business has picked up and has become a key factor in helping build the firm’s brand across international markets. Its core products include the Huawei smartphone and Huawei Watch.

Huawei is now the third-biggest player in the smartphone market after Apple and Samsung, and shipped 108 million smartphones in 2015, which represents a 44 percent increase in sales compared to 2014.

Now Huawei is looking to make a major play in the tablet sector. Globally, tablet shipments fell 13.7 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2015, while shipments for detachable tablets reached an all-time high of 8.1 million devices, more than double from the same period in 2014, according to the research firm International Data Corporation.

The Huawei MateBook is being launched alongside the MatePen, which is used to write and draw on the MateBook. It has high sensitivity, can support graphics and mathematic functions and can be used as a laser pointer for delivering presentations.

The MateBook also has a one-touch unlocking system, which Huawei says is the fastest fingerprint recognition technology in the industry. Its technology supports 360 degrees sensitive identification, which leads to fewer identification failures than competitor technology.

The keyboard that accompanies MateBook features 1.5 millimeter keystroke and a Chiclet keycap design, which allows for larger key surfaces to minimize typing errors. The built-in touchpad uses multi-touch technology that supports finger movement and effectively combines comfort with function.

source: interaksyon.com

CES 2016 | Huawei targets premium segment with new phone, watch

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Chinese electronics giant Huawei took aim Tuesday at the premium segment dominated by Apple, unveiling a new large-screen smartphone along with a tablet and luxury smartwatch.

As it unveiled its latest flagship smartphone called the Mate 8 at the Consumer Electronics Show, Huawei said it sees a path to becoming the number two global vendor in the sector — a spot now held by US-based Apple.

“Every year, every month, we are increasing our market share,” said Huawei consumer devices chief Richard Yu.

“Within a few years we believe we can be number two.”

At CES, Huawei announced the launch of its premium flagship phone claiming better performance and battery life than rivals made by Apple and Samsung.

With a six-inch display, it still has a smaller overall footprint than similar smartphones, said Kevin Ho, who heads Huawei’s handset operations.

The Mate 8 will launch in 30 countries — but not the United States — starting at 599 euros ($650), in line with flagship models from Apple and Samsung.

The first wave of markets where the Mate 8 will be launched are in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.

Ho said the new device has a battery life of more than two days. It has a fingerprint identification system for payments, improved camera audio and microphone technology.

Huawei designed its own chipset for the device, ensuring it stays cool despite high performance, Ho said.

“High performance does not always mean hot,” he said.

Huawei boosted its global smartphone market share to 7.7 percent in the third quarter behind Samsung and Apple, according to research firm Gartner.

It has taken a leading position in China ahead of Samsung, but its US offerings have been limited until its recent agreement to produce a Nexus phone for Google.

Yu said Huawei’s total consumer device revenues grew 70 precent in 2015 to more than $20 billion as it shipped 108 million handsets.

He added that Huawei has in the past few years boosted its global brand awareness and trust from consumers. Huawei’s image was tarnished several years ago amid concerns over its ties to the Chinese government.

“We regained trust from consumers,” Yu said.

Huawei also unveiled a 10-inch tablet which appears to be designed as a rival to the iPad.

The MediaPad M210 will be sold in the US and more than two dozen other markets starting at $349.

The company also unveiled two new versions of its smartwatch — called Jewel and Elegant — which appear aimed at the luxury segment occupied by Apple Watch.

Aimed at women, the two new models start at $499 and $599. The Jewel is made in collaboration with Swarovski and features the European company’s diamond-emulating glass stones known as Zirconia circling the face.

source: interaksyon.com

Huawei plans big push to sell its phones, wearable devices

SAN FRANCISCO/BEIJING — Two years after U.S. legislators branded it a national security threat, China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd is planning a campaign to win over U.S. consumers, rolling out new mobile phones and wearable devices backed by a marketing effort.

China’s second-largest smartphone maker, already with more than $40 billion in annual revenue from a wide range of telecom gear and products, is preparing to introduce Americans to several of its smartphones and wearable devices this year, including its youth-oriented “Honor” phone, Huawei officials told Reuters.

The company’s 2015 U.S. plans, which have not been previously reported, will encompass traditional advertising, online promotion and sports team sponsorships, said Huawei’s U.S. spokesman Bill Plummer.

Huawei is changing its approach to marketing as it tries to shed its image as a purveyor of cheap technology products – a common perception issue for many Chinese companies. It’s an important shift for a company that for years had been single-mindedly focused on engineering and relatively dismissive of consumer branding.

In December, it touted its new Honor 6 Plus phone on a billboard in New York’s Times Square. Plummer said that was “a sign of things to come.”

He declined to say how much Huawei will spend on its new marketing campaign or what sports team, or teams, it had in mind. It already sponsors London soccer club Arsenal, cricket teams in India and rugby clubs in Australia.

New smartwatch

At the Mobile World Congress over the weekend in Barcelona, Huawei took the wraps off a smartwatch that will be sold in over 20 countries including the U.S.

Huawei now intends to appeal directly to consumers with several new phone models, both low end and high end. It hopes to secure deals with carriers, selling online through marketplaces, such as the one operated by Amazon.com, and on its own fledgling gethuawei.com U.S. direct-sales website.

It’s unclear how open the carriers, who dominate U.S. sales, would be to carrying phones from Huawei, a brand that remains unknown to the majority of American smartphone users. Reviews of its high-end phones, which can cost hundreds of dollars without a plan, have been generally positive.

Still, the U.S. market is dominated by Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics. None of the four biggest U.S. carriers – Verizon, AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile – currently sell Huawei phones on their websites and all declined to say whether they have had talks with the Chinese company.

Huawei said in 2013 it would focus on other markets after its products were labelled a national security risk in a U.S. Congressional report, which said Beijing could use Huawei equipment for spying. Huawei denied the report, but Chief Executive Ren Zhengfei, who founded the company after leaving the Chinese military, told reporters at the time he felt stuck in a U.S.-China trade war.

A White House-ordered review found no evidence of spying.

Lawmakers’ concerns revolve primarily around Huawei’s networking equipment. And analysts say that a lack of brand recognition is a bigger hurdle for Huawei’s smartphone ambitions than pressures from Washington.

Huawei currently has less than 1 percent of the U.S. market, according to research firm IDC. But it can perhaps draw inspiration from China’s ZTE Corp, which has gained 6.4 percent of the U.S. market by selling cheaper smartphones and working with second-tier carriers like Boost Mobile, according to Ramon Llamas, a research manager at IDC.

Online sales, particularly as no-contract plans that require consumers to purchase a full-price phone gain in popularity, represent perhaps the best option for Huawei, said Gartner analyst C.K. Lu, adding that he sees it having a tough time signing carriers.

“The U.S. market is tough for anybody except Apple and Samsung,” said Lu.

Huawei’s plan to broaden its U.S. offering is part of a campaign for “normalizing” perceptions of Huawei in America and elsewhere, said Plummer.

Though he declined to spell out what normalization entailed, most public discussion of the company has centered around the debate of whether its equipment allows China to spy on the United States, and until now Huawei has kept a low profile.

Other Chinese companies still prefer that route: another major Chinese handset maker, Xiaomi, has said it will take its first steps onto U.S. soil without smartphones, choosing instead to sell earphones and other accessories to test the market.

source: interaksyon.com