US President Donald Trump announced that he would be working with the Chinese president to help telecommunications giant ZTE, after the US Commerce Department's recent decision to block the company from purchasing American-made components for seven years. The blocking came after a 'denial order' requiring US companies to stop exporting parts or providing services to ZTE through 2025, in light of ZTE's alleged shipping of equipment with US-made components to Iran and North Korea, despite existing American sanctions on those countries. ZTE ranks among the largest telecommunications companies worldwide, responsible for 75 000 jobs, along with being a major provider of smartphones in the United States. Chinese officials publicly welcomed the positive remarks on the ZTE issue.