CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian football team says it wants to continue Huawei's longest-ever sports sponsorship despite the Chinese communication giant's legal wrangle with the United States and its ban from Australia's 5G networks.
Huawei has been the major sponsor of the Canberra Raiders since 2012 and will consider this year extending its first sponsorship contract with a sports team anywhere in the world.
Raiders' chief executive Don Furner said Thursday relations between the sponsor and the team had not been affected by recent U.S. criminal charges that allege Huawei stole trade secrets, misled banks about its business and violated U.S. sanctions.
Australia has struck Huawei a commercial blow by excluding the company from playing any part in 5G networks.
Huawei spokesman Jeremy Mitchell says the ban will figure in sponsorship considerations.
