China Mobile urges US to stop ‘unreasonable pressure’

New York: A unit of China Mobile Ltd. said the US government should stop putting ‘unreasonable pressure’ on Chinese companies and provide them with a non-discriminatory investment environment, pushing back after its bid to provide phone service in the US was denied.

China Mobile International said the Federal Communications Commission’s rejection after almost eight years of applications was ‘without apparent reasons and basis,’ according to a statement on its website on Saturday.

“It is out of market economy principles and contradicts the trend of economic globalisation,” the company said.

The FCC on May 9 voted 5-0 to deny the Chinese carrier’s request to enter the US market over national security concerns, after being urged to do so by the Trump administration.

The Trump administration also is trying to persuade allies to shun Huawei Technologies Co., the Shenzhen-based network-gear maker that US officials call a security risk. Huawei officials dispute the accusation. The FCC is considering whether to allow Huawei to operate in the US and is awaiting a recommendation from the White House.