Pompeo: Huawei Untruthful About Ties With Beijing

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo charged on Thursday that mainland telecoms giant Huawei is not truthful about its relationship with the central government.

When Huawei says it is not working with that government, "that's just false. That's just false," Pompeo told CNBC.

"To say that they don't work with the Chinese government is a false statement," Pompeo said of Huawei, which has effectively been blacklisted by the US over worries that Beijing uses it as a tool for espionage.

Of Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei, Pompeo said, "isn't telling the American people the truth, nor the world."

Last week President Donald Trump declared a national emergency to bar US companies from using foreign telecoms equipment deemed a security risk. The move appeared aimed at Huawei, though the White House said no particular company or country was targeted.

The Commerce Department has also announced an effective ban on US companies selling or transferring US technology to Huawei.

The moves have prompted a parade of firms to step back from dealings with Huawei, including Google, whose Android operating system powers most of the world's smartphones. (AFP)