Huawei Dials Up a Page from Western Playbook

Huawei is showing it can play with the big global boys, much to their annoyance. China’s perennial up-and-coming-but-not-quite-there telecoms equipment seller has scored a major victory in US court by winning an injunction to stop Motorola (NYSE: MOT) from transferring technology to Nokia Siemens Networks with the sale of the former’s telecoms equipment division to the latter. (English article; Chinese article) Huawei had argued that a past collaboration had given Motorola valuable technology that could compromise its own competitiveness. Obviously this case began before Huawei abandoned a minor acquisition of US company 3Leaf Systems last week, but its bound to make US legislators who cry wolf every time China tries to buy a US tech or energy firm take notice. That in turn could be good news for the likes of Huawei, ZTE　（ＨＫＥｘ: 763）, and acquisitive energy firms like CNOOC (NYSE: CEO; HKEx: 883) and Sinopec (HKEx: 386), who are fast learning that if you want to play in the West, it’s best to learn all the tricks of the trade to make your presence felt.