SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Chinese tech giant Huawei has warned a U.S. proposal to block the company from pursuing damages in the country’s patent courts would be a “catastrophe for global innovation.”

Huawei’s chief legal officer warned Thursday the proposal by an American senator would threaten the global intellectual property system that supports technology development.

The proposal followed news reports Huawei was asking for $1 billion from American phone carrier Verizon. The Trump administration has imposed curbs on Huawei’s access to U.S. technology amid tensions over Beijing’s development ambitions.

Huawei’s Song Liping said at a news conference, “if such a legislative proposal were to be passed, it would be a catastrophe for global innovation. It would have terrible consequences.”