（中央社華盛頓25日綜合外電報導）「紐約時報」（New York Times）今天報導，川普執政團隊告訴議員，美國政府已達成協議，讓中國電信設備大廠中興通訊回復營運。
紐時引述知情人士報導，由美國商務部居中促成的這項協議，要求中興通訊支付可觀罰款、在公司中安置美籍法令遵循主管和更換管理團隊。美國商務部也將解除中興通訊購買美國產品的禁令。
白宮未立即證實這項協議。
一名國會助理告訴路透社，川普執政團隊舉行機密簡報討論中興通訊的事，但未詳述內容。
美國以中興通訊違反對伊朗和北韓制裁為由，禁止中興通訊購買美國科技零組件7年時間。美國商務部的決定將允許中興通訊重啟與美國企業的業務往來，包括中興通訊主要的供應商高通公司（Qualcomm Inc）在內。
The Trump administration has told Congress that the Commerce Department struck a deal with Chinese phone maker ZTE to ease sanctions against the tech giant in exchange for changes at the company.
According to a source familiar, the Commerce Department informed members of Congress that the current sanctions — a practice called a denial order which prevents ZTE from buying parts from US companies — will be lifted in exchange for changes at the company.
“Under the deal, ZTE will pay a bigger fine, have to hire American compliance officers, and they have to get rid of the current ZTE management team,” the source told Business Insider. “Once they do all that, the denial order is lifted and they can start doing business with American companies again.”
ZTE was crippled following sanctions from the US. The company said in a statement on May 10 that due to the crackdown, “the major operating activities of the company have ceased.”
The denial order was implemented after ZTE failed to respond to earlier sanctions that alleged the company sold goods containing US parts into Iran and North Korea, a violation of sanctions against those countries.
Members of Congress from both parties warned the Trump administration not to reverse sanctions on ZTE since the company both violated US law and posed a national security threat.
“Yes they have a deal in mind. It is a great deal… for #ZTE & China,” GOP Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted Friday. “#China crushes U.S. companies with no mercy & they use these telecomm companies to spy & steal from us. Many hoped this time would be different. Now congress will need to act.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also expressed frustration in a statement.
“If the administration goes through with this reported deal, President Trump would be helping make China great again,” Schumer said. “Simply a fine and changing board members would not protect America’s economic or national security, and would be a huge victory for President Xi, and a dramatic retreat by President Trump. Both parties in Congress should come together to stop this deal in its tracks.”
A group of 27 senators from both parties signed on to a letter earlier in the week that, in part, warned the Trump adminstration against going easy on ZTE. The lawmakers pointed to national security officials’ fear that ZTE could gain access to critical US technology and help bolster the Chinese government’s efforts to modernize their defense capabilities.
China worked to get the sanctions against ZTE lifted in trade negations with the Trump adminstration over the past two weeks. In exchange for lifting the sanctions, China is reportedly willing to lower tariffs on US agricultural products like pork and wine.