According to to the newspaper famous for reporting press releases from Huawei's rival, Apple, the New York Times claims that the telephone maker has laid off five key American employees, including its biggest American lobbyist.

Huawei's tactics are changing as its business prospects in the United States have darkened considerably. On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission voted to proceed with a new rule that could effectively kill off what little business the company has left in the United States.

Although the proposed rule does not mention Huawei by name, it would block federally subsidized telecommunications carriers from using suppliers deemed to pose a risk to American national security.

Huawei's latest moves suggest that it has accepted that its political battles in the United States are not ones it is likely to win. "Some things cannot change their course according to our wishes," Eric Xu, Huawei's deputy chairman, said at the company's annual meeting with analysts. "With some things, when you let them go, you actually feel more at ease."