Trump's trade deal with China may relieve Huawei from espionage charges

The US shouldn't be so desperate for an agreement that it gives China a worldwide advantage in surveillance

The US-led campaign against Huawei Technologies Co., China’s telecom giant, has attracted a lot of attention for the indictment of the company’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. On Thursday, Huawei’s lawyers pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court to 13 counts of fraud involving an elaborate scheme to violate US sanctions against Iran.

That case is no doubt important, not only because of the possibility that Meng, the daughter of Huawei’s founder, could face incarceration. It is also a major irritant in US-China trade talks.

That said, the case is a sideshow. Of greater consequence is a renewed