ZTE appointed a former US Department of Commerce official as its head of public policy, in a bid to cosy up to the country’s government.

The China-headquartered vendor picked Angela Simpson, a former deputy assistant secretary to the commerce department, for the role. Simpson served in the department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) division, and brings a legal background to the role.

Simpson’s appointment comes five months after ZTE was removed from a trade blacklist in the US following an admission it broke export laws covering Iran. The move potentially opens the door for ZTE to compete with Ericsson and Nokia for a share of the lucrative US network market.

The company came to a settlement with the US government in March, which saw it accept an upfront criminal and civil penalty of $892 million and an additional fine of $300 million suspended for seven years.

In an apparent bid to improve ongoing relations, Simpson will be based in Washington DC. As VP Government Affairs, she will manage all public policy matters for the Chinese company in the country.

Government background
Prior to joining ZTE, Simpson held senior roles in the department responsible for commerce and telecommunications in addition to leading the advocacy team at the Federal Communications Commission.

Lixin Cheng, chairman and CEO of ZTE USA, said: “Angela Simpson’s policy experience and knowledge of the technology industry make her an excellent choice to lead US Government Affairs for ZTE USA. We are excited to have her join us as we continue to invest in local partnerships that will help us deliver innovative products and expand our presence in the US.”

The US market proved challenging for ZTE and fellow Chinese giant Huawei, with both companies the subject of sanctions from US authorities in the past. US concerns over the security of equipment supplied by the vendors means they have missed out on some key mobile infrastructure projects in the country.

However, following the removal of ZTE’s recent ban, the company’s CEO Zhao Xianming said the company was “turning the page on a challenging chapter in our past and is optimistic about our future.”