In 4 paragraphs, give the background of the US government vs Huawei case, and insert intext reference in each paragraph

The US government's case against Huawei began in earnest in 2012 when the House Intelligence Committee labeled Huawei and ZTE, another Chinese telecommunications company, as national security threats. This was due to concerns about the companies' alleged ties to the Chinese government and fears that their equipment could be used for spying (House Intelligence Committee, 2012). The committee's report recommended that the US government and private companies avoid using Huawei and ZTE's equipment, a move that significantly limited their ability to expand in the US market.

In 2018, the situation escalated when the US government banned federal agencies from using Huawei and ZTE's equipment. This decision was based on the same concerns about national security and potential spying. The ban was part of the Defense Authorization Act, a law that outlines the budget and expenditures for the US Department of Defense (US Congress, 2018). This move further isolated Huawei and ZTE from the US market and signaled a hardening stance from the US government.

In 2019, the US Department of Justice filed criminal charges against Huawei, including allegations of theft of trade secrets, obstruction of justice, and fraud. The charges were related to Huawei's alleged theft of technology from T-Mobile, a US telecommunications company, and its alleged violation of US sanctions against Iran (US Department of Justice, 2019). These charges marked a significant escalation in the US government's case against Huawei.

In 2020, the US government imposed further restrictions on Huawei, prohibiting foreign semiconductor manufacturers that use US technology from selling to Huawei without a license. This move was aimed at limiting Huawei's ability to design and manufacture its own semiconductors, a key part of its business (US Department of Commerce, 2020). The restrictions represented another significant escalation in the US government's case against Huawei and further strained US-China relations.