https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/20/17596186/senate-republicans-zte-restrictions-donald-trump-deal

Senate Republicans have abandoned an effort to impose harsher restrictions on Chinese telecommunications company ZTE after the US officially lifted its trade ban on the company earlier this month, according to a report from The Washington Post. That means that President Donald Trump’s deal for the company to resume working with US companies will stand, despite significant bipartisan opposition amid worries the company could threaten US national security interests.

Earlier this year, ZTE was found in violation of a plea deal it agreed to last year after it pled guilty to selling US goods to Iran and North Korea. The Commerce Department instituted a trade ban, while the Pentagon banned ZTE and Huawei phones from retail stores on military bases. The US and China then began working toward a deal, spearheaded allegedly by Trump, that would allow ZTE to continue operating, as losing its ability to do business with American companies like Qualcomm threatened to shut down the entire company.