US files new charges against Huawei accusing company of plotting to steal trade secrets

New charges have been filed by the US Department of Justice against Chinese tech giant Huawei, accusing the company of plotting to steal trade secrets.

The superseding indictment was announced by prosecutors in Brooklyn on Thursday who had previously accused the company of bank fraud.

Huawei is accused of conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO) and conspiring to steal trade secrets from six US technology companies in order to grow the company.

There are also new allegations about the company's involvement in countries subject to sanctions, such as Iran and North Korea.

The trade secret theft relates to Internet router source code, cellular antenna technology and robotics.

The case was unsealed as the Trump administration is raising national security and surveillance concerns about Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer.

The latest allegations come after senior Tories have reportedly written to Conservative MPs to raise concerns over Boris Johnson's decision to allow Huawei a role in the UK's 5G network.

The letter, from a group of Tories including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, David Davis, Damian Green and Bob Seely, said there were other options to the Chinese firm, according to the BBC.

The group said they want "high-risk" vendors to be ruled out now or phased out over time, adding that they working to find a better solution" to the 5G issue.

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