Nothing has happened with ZTE except as it pertains to the larger trade deal, US President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday. 

“Nothing has happened with ZTE except as it pertains to the larger trade deal. Our country has been losing hundreds of billions of dollars a year with China” said Donald Trump, adding “We have not seen China’s demands yet, which should be few in that previous U.S. Administrations have done so poorly in negotiating. China has seen our demands. There has been no folding as the media would love people to believe, the meetings haven’t even started yet! The U.S. has very little to give, because it has given so much over the years. China has much to give!” 

Earlier, the US Congress rejected Trump’s plan to ease sanctions against ZTE.

The US Department of Commerce prohibited US companies to sell components of the leading Chinese telecommunications equipment supplier ZTE Corp for seven years.

Last year ZTE Corp was found guilty for violating US sanctions by illegally supplying US goods and technology to Iran. The company paid 890 million dollars in fines and penalties.