ZTE

ZTE Corporation is a Chinese partially state-owned technology company that specializes in telecommunication. Founded in 1985, ZTE is listed on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. ZTE's core business is wireless, exchange, optical transmission, data telecommunications gear, telecommunications software, and mobile phones. ZTE primarily sells products under its own name, but it is also an OEM. The company has faced criticism in the United States, India, and Sweden over ties to the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that could enable mass surveillance. In 2017, ZTE was fined for illegally exporting U.S. technology to Iran and North Korea, in violation of international economic sanctions. In April 2018, after the company failed to properly reprimand the employees involved, the U.S. Department of Commerce banned U.S. companies (semiconductors) from exporting to ZTE for seven years. The ban was lifted in July 2018 after ZTE replaced its senior management, and agreed to pay additional fines and establish an internal compliance team for 10 years. In June 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated ZTE a national security threat. In 2023, the European Commission banned ZTE from providing telecommunication services.