Hello there, I'm Ed Butler and welcome to Business Daily from the BBC.

Today, talks are beginning in Washington aimed at diffusing a potential trade war.

But is Chinese alleged cyber attack an obstacle to progress?

The Chinese have been engaged in unprecedented conduct, breaking into companies worldwide, but primarily in Western Europe and the United States, and stealing everything that's not bolted down.

Washington this week has indicted China's biggest phone maker Huawei.

Partly it says on the grounds of IP theft.

But what's really behind the move?

I see this two-country team competition for the United States.

Taking down Huawei is a very important political signal.

The US and China, bitter rivals.

Can they make peace? Business Daily from the BBC.

Yes, the US and China are beginning important trade talks today in Washington.

Currently there is a ceasefire in the ongoing tit-for-tat battle

over billions of dollars' worth of tariffs between the two countries.

But all of a sudden this week, hopes of a deal that had been hopes, were thrown into doubt. It's all over the fate of

China's largest mobile phone maker, Huawei. Explosive indictments unveiled by the US Justice Department

on Monday against the company included claims of bank and wire fraud, theft of trade secrets,

and deliberate attempts by the firm to sidestep U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Here's how they were all set out by the U.S. FBI director, Christopher Ray.

Both sets of charges expose Huawei's brazen and persistent actions to exploit American companies and financial institutions and to threaten the free and fair global marketplace.

Huawei also intentionally and systematically sought to steal valuable intellectual property from an American company,

so it could circumvent hard-earned, time-consuming research and gain an unfair market advantage.

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