China demand Monday that Washington withdraw export sanctions imposed on Chinese companies in the latest round of a worsening conflict over technology, security and human rights.

The estimate came in an annual New Year's message to employees from chairman Eric Xu. The letter predicted 2020 would be a difficult year, saying the American pressure creates a challenging environment for Huawei to survive and thrive.

U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton are calling on the U.S. intelligence community to investigate the app.

Senator Marco Rubio said Chinese-owned apps "are increasingly being used to censor content and silence open discussion on topics deemed sensitive by the Chinese Government and Communist Party."

China is creating a system to protect its technology, according to state media, as the U.S. restricts the access of Chinese companies to American technology in a spiraling trade dispute.