‘Huawei tried to steal Apple’s trade secrets from its suppliers’.

Huawei is said to have tried very regularly to steal trade secrets from Apple. The Chinese company is said to have had an internal reward program for employees who knew how to steal secrets from Apple. One of those employees would even have tried to get information from an Apple supplier about the latest smartwatch from the American tech manufacturer.

That’s what the site The Information proposes on the basis of anonymous sources. Huawei is said to have approached suppliers and even workers on Foxconn’s production line. For example, Huawei hoped to get information about parts Apple uses in its products, from the heart rate monitor to cables for the MacBook Pro.

Previously tried

Several Apple employees say it’s part of Huawei’s broader effort to get technology from competitors. The Chinese company tries this mainly through other Chinese companies. Of course, a company spokesman denies all accusations. Apple did not want to respond to the message.

Huawei’s suspicions are not entirely new. Earlier there was a message that the U.S. Department of Justice wanted to sue Huawei for stealing trade secrets from telecom provider T-Mobile. This showed that Huawei had an internal programme whereby employees could receive a bonus if they were able to capture trade secrets from other companies. The amount of that bonus depended on the value of the information.

Rising voltages

These accusations of theft of trade secrets follow increasing tensions between the United States and China. The US sued the Chinese telecom giant for conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice. CFO Meng Wanzhou was then arrested and China responded that this was politically motivated.

Meanwhile, the United States is increasing pressure on allies to stop using Huawei technology. Especially with regard to the use of Huawei technology in the roll-out of 5G networks, the United States is trying to persuade its allies to opt for other techniques. At the same time, Huawei employees deny that they are installing back doors for the Chinese government.