US files extradition request for Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou

Alexander Bibik | Reuters

Meng Wanzhou, Executive Board Director of the Chinese technology giant Huawei, attends a session of the VTB Capital Investment Forum “Russia Calling!” in Moscow, Russia October 2, 2014.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal charges Monday for Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of China tech giant Huawei and the daughter of its founder and president Ren Zhengfei.

The Justice Department also announced charges Monday against China tech giant Huawei for allegedly stealing trade secrets from T-Mobile. The charges stem from a civil trade secrets lawsuit filed by T-Mobile in 2014 over a robot called “Tappy,” which was used in testing smartphones.

FBI, DHS and Commerce officials announced the two actions on Monday, saying the allegations go back more than a decade. “Huawei and its senior executives repeatedly refused to respect U.S. law,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray, in Monday’s press conference. “Huawei .. systematically sought to steal valuable trade secrets.”