China tells US to stop 'unreasonable suppression' of Huawei

Published May 16, 2020
US officials have repeatedly accused Huawei of stealing American trade secrets. — AFP
US officials have repeatedly accused Huawei of stealing American trade secrets. — AFP

Beijing has urged the United States to stop the "unreasonable suppression of Huawei and Chinese enterprises" after Washington announced new export controls to restrict the tech giant's access to semiconductor technology.

The latest restrictions on the world's second-largest smartphone manufacturer, which is at the centre of US spying allegations, are a new escalation in the US-China battle for global technological dominance.

"The Chinese government will firmly uphold Chinese firms' legitimate and legal rights and interests," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

"We urge the US side to immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Huawei and Chinese enterprises."

The ministry said the Trump administration's actions "destroy global manufacturing, supply and value chains".

The US Commerce Department said on Friday the controls would "narrowly and strategically target Huawei's acquisition of semiconductors that are the direct product of certain US software and technology".

US officials have repeatedly accused the Chinese technology giant of stealing American trade secrets and aiding China's espionage efforts, ramping up tensions with the rival superpower while both sides were involved in a long-simmering trade war.

As a result, Huawei has increasingly relied on domestically manufactured technology, but the latest rules will also ban foreign firms that use US technology from shipping semiconductors to Huawei without US permission.

The new restrictions will cut off Huawei's access to one of its major suppliers, the Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, which also manufactures chips for Apple and other tech firms.

The US last year banned Huawei from using US-manufactured semiconductors in their products.

China has threatened retaliation against the US for the move, including imposing restrictions on major US firms and putting them on an "unreliable entity list", according to an anonymous government source quoted in the Communist Party tabloid Global Times on Friday.

US tech giants Apple, Cisco, Qualcomm and planemaker Boeing are among the firms that may be targeted, the report said.

US-China relations are again on the rocks with Washington and Beijing trading barbs over the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the past week, China has also threatened retaliatory measures against the US for restricting the visa stay limits of Chinese journalists, and for several lawsuits filed by US lawmakers against China for the coronavirus pandemic.

Huawei has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Opinion

Editorial

China security ties
Updated 14 Nov, 2024

China security ties

If China's security concerns aren't addressed satisfactorily, it may affect bilateral ties. CT cooperation should be pursued instead of having foreign forces here.
Steep price
14 Nov, 2024

Steep price

THE Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is in big trouble. A new study unveiled at the ongoing COP29 reveals that if high...
A high-cost plan
14 Nov, 2024

A high-cost plan

THE government has approved an expensive plan for FBR in the hope of tackling its deep-seated inefficiencies. The...
United stance
Updated 13 Nov, 2024

United stance

It would've been better if the OIC-Arab League summit had announced practical measures to punish Israel.
Unscheduled visit
13 Nov, 2024

Unscheduled visit

Unusual IMF visit shows the lender will closely watch implementation of programme goals to prevent it from derailing.
Bara’s businesswomen
13 Nov, 2024

Bara’s businesswomen

Bara’s brave women have proven that with the right support, societal barriers can be overcome.