Suspending goodwill gesture, Huawei ends Australian sporting deal over trade war

Canberra: Chinese telecom giant Huawei is ending its oldest major sporting sponsorship deal, saying Monday it was breaking its contract with an Australian rugby league team after nine years because of a “great trade war” between China and Australia.

Australia has barred the world’s largest maker of switching gear and major smartphone brand from involvement in crucial national communication infrastructure in recent years, while China has ratcheted up pressure for an Australian policy reversal.

“Unfortunately as everyone knows, Huawei has been caught in the middle of a great trade war and the effects on our business is greater than we expected,” Huawei Australia’s chief corporate affairs officer Jeremy Mitchell told reporters.