Last year, Huawei Technologies Co. and wireless carrier SoftBank Group Corp. jointly demonstrated advanced 5G technology by pitting a human against a robotic arm in a game of air hockey in Japan.

The presentation also illustrated the close ties between the companies that are emerging as an issue in T-Mobile U.S. Inc.'s proposed purchase of SoftBank's Sprint Corp. SoftBank's network relies on Huawei technology.

Critics of the deal say the arrest in Canada of a top Huawei executive shows the Chinese company isn't to be trusted, and regulators should step up scrutiny of the $26.5 billion merger's national security implications.