McConnell: US-China Trade Deal Must Not Include Access for Huawei

Any trade deal with China must not include allowing access to United States technology, as Huawei represents a threat to national security, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday.

"Huawei represents a national security risk and I don't think we ought to do anything to make it easier for them to operate and do business here in America or in Europe for that matter. We are talking to them about it as well," the Kentucky Republican told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo.

Earlier this year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States would not partner with countries that still use Huawei technology, but McConnell said he doesn't know how that would be enforced.

"That's a good first step and I hope whatever arrangement we ultimately end up with China does not allow Huawei to have that kind of access to our technology," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC that he and Ambassador Robert Lightheizer are to speak with their counterparts in China in a phone call about trade, but denied that Huawei is the sticking point for trade negotiations between the two nations.

Meanwhile, McConnell said he does not think the United States should walk away from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if lawmakers can't get the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) approved, but he does think the USMCA should be passed.

"We ought to get this one," he said. "It is an improvement. The administration did a good job of updating NAFTA."

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