The United States Justice Department on Monday charged Chinese multinational conglomerate Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and its Chief Financial Officer Meng Wangzhou, with conspiracy to violate American sanctions on Iran. The Justice Department claimed that Huawei conducted business with Iran using a subsidiary it tried to hide, Reuters reported.

Meng was arrested at the Vancouver airport in Canada in December at the request of United States authorities. Meng faces fraud charges in the US.

The US also claimed that Huawei stole robotic technology from carrier T-Mobile US Inc. Huawei had earlier said that the two firms settled their dispute in 2017.

“Today we are announcing that we are bringing criminal charges against telecommunications giant Huawei and its associates for nearly two dozen alleged crimes,” Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said in a statement, CNN reported. “China must hold its citizens and Chinese companies accountable for complying with the law.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray said the “immense influence that the Chinese government holds over Chinese corporations like Huawei” threatens both US economic and national security interests.

However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang urged the United States to “stop its unreasonable bashing on Chinese companies, including Huawei”.

Geng also claimed that the Meng case has “political motives” behind it. “We once again urge the Canadian side to make the right choice, immediately release Ms Meng Wanzhou, and guarantee her safe return to China at an early date,” he added.