According to the latest batch of market-positive trade-deal headlines, US negotiators are scrambling to hash out a deal with their counterparts in Beijing that would enable Trump and President Xi to save face, while averting the next round of US tariffs (and possibly removing existing tariffs) - even if this means squandering the leverage Trump has accrued by backing the Chinese economy into a corner.

But amid the rush to finish a deal by the end of the month, the battle of wills between Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and the US government rages on. And in what appears to be its latest salvo, Huawei is reportedly suing the US government over its ban on federal agencies purchasing Huawei products, which it argues is illegal under US law.

According to the NYT, which was tipped off about the suit by two sources close to Huawei, the Chinese firm is planning to file in the Eastern District of Texas, where its American headquarters is based:

SHANGHAI - The Chinese electronics giant Huawei is preparing to sue the United States government for banning federal agencies from using the company's products, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The lawsuit is due to be filed in the Eastern District of Texas, where Huawei has its American headquarters, according to the people, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential plans. The company plans to announce the suit later this week.

While the legal precedents are stacked against Huawei, reversing the ban probably isn't the lawsuit's ultimate goal; rather, according to the Times, the company is hoping to force the White House to "more publicly make its case against the Chinese equipment maker." The suit is part of a multi-pronged approach by the company to defend its reputation from aspersions cast by the US.

The move could be aimed at forcing the United States government to more publicly make its case against the Chinese equipment maker. It is part of a broad push by Huawei to defend itself against a campaign led by the United States to undermine the company, which Washington sees as a security threat. Executives have spoken out strongly against America's actions, and new marketing campaigns have been aimed at mending the company's image among consumers.