Washington, DC (CNN Business) President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday barring US firms from using telecom gear from sources the administration deems national security threats. The decision risks escalating tensions with China as the two nations clash over whether Huawei — the world's largest provider of telecommunications equipment — poses a spying risk to Western infrastructure networks. White House officials declined to identify China and Huawei as the intended target of the executive order. By adding Huawei to the so-called Entity List, the Trump administration will ensure Huawei will be covered by the new executive order. The executive order — along with Huawei's addition to the list — comes as Trump is seeking to apply additional pressure on China in trade talks , with stiffer tariffs affecting billions of dollars of goods.

Source: CNN May 15, 2019 22:14 UTC