Huawei Mate 60 Rollout: Has The United States Committed Harakiri? – OpEd
The launch by Huawei of its latest handphone should never have happened according to the planning of US strategic and foreign policy makers.
During the last five years the Trump and Biden administrations have tried every trick in the economics, geo-political and industrial manufacturing books and more to cripple the Chinese semiconductor industry by blocking its access to advanced semiconductors, chip-making equipment, and supercomputer components.
The number one target has been Huawei, China’s telecommunications manufacturing giant, which in 2012 overtook Ericsson as the world’s largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer and in 2018 displaced Apple as the world’s second largest manufacturer of smartphones.
The centrepiece of US policy to cripple China in what has been labelled as the battle for global technological superiority in which semiconductor chips are regarded as the critical game changer has focused on efforts to take Huawei down with unproven and unfounded charges that its equipment would enable the Chinese government to conduct espionage and was therefore a threat to US and its allies’ national security.
These efforts began with the blacklisting of Huawei by the Trump administration in 2019 followed by the Federal Communications Commission designation of Huawei as a national security threat and the order to US carriers to pull Huawei equipment out from their networks in 2020.
Under US pressure, Australia, Japan, the UK, Canada and Sweden joined in banning Huawei 5G equipment. But, as the great majority of the world’s nations refused to follow suit, the Biden administration escalated its drive to beat down China’s and Huawei’s semiconductor manufacturing development.
Taiwan, Netherlands and Japan have been harassed into blockage of exports of advanced chip making equipment to China in the US masterplan to add a decade or more to the timeline for China’s semiconductor self-sufficiency; and to ensure that China’s self-sufficiency ambition would implode.
Biden’s ‘Thermonuclear Bomb’ Against China’s Semiconductor Industry
In October 2022, the Biden administration set off what has been described as “a thermonuclear bomb” at the heart of Beijing’s technology industry. New export rules were announced which included a measure to cut China off from specific semiconductor chips made anywhere in the world with US tools. At the same time, as part of these rules, “U.S. persons” that supported the development of production of certain chips in China were required a licence to do so – in effect compelling them to look for alternative employment.
According to one analyst: With the new Biden sanctions, all American suppliers of IP blocks, components, and services departed overnight – thus cutting off all service [to China]. Long story short, every advanced node semiconductor company is currently facing comprehensive supply cut-off, resignations from all American staff, and immediate operations paralysis. This is what annihilation looks like: China’s semiconductor manufacturing industry was reduced to zero overnight. Complete collapse. No chance of survival.” (Posted at Jordan Schneider’s Twitter account @jordanschnyc)
Huawei and China Fightback
Killing off Huawei? Complete collapse of China’s semiconductor manufacturing?
In a news story that is still reverberating around the technology and political world, Huawei recently launched its latest Mate line of smartphones. The low key unveiling which took the tech world by surprise coincidentally took place during the visit of US commerce secretary, Gina Raimondo.
Favourably received by technical analysts – many from the US – who took apart the innards of the handphone, most have praised Huawei for pushing back the boundaries of innovation and delivering cutting edge technology at affordable prices to users, It is possibly the first mainstream smartphone that can support users without access to conventional networks. This remarkable feature will be especially useful during catastrophic events anywhere in the world, including in the US.
The smartphone and technology pages of the internet have been buzzing over its impressive features – powerful Kirian chipset, curved OLED display, triple rear camera system, a 13-megapixel front camera and a 3D depth camera for secure and accurate face recognition and fast charging capabilities. Rave reports have also emerged of its potential 6G feature which enables satellite communication and the Internet of Everything.
With Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro sales estimated by analysts at 15 million or more, Huawei should be able to survive what may be the most sanctions in the history of modern business put up by a group of countries against a single enterprise. Its future prospects look brighter than ever.
Huawei’s existence is also a body blow to US attempts to thwart China’s development and capabilities, and to inflict damage not only in the military sector but also in the economic and technological arenas. This United States experience of sanctions against Huawei and China illustrates how sanctions can backfire when faced by a determined opponent. In the case of Huawei, sanctions have forced the company to reduce its reliance on the US and its allies as well as pushed the company into partnership with China chipmaking manufacturer, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, to develop a 7-nanometer superchip that the Chinese were not expected to manufacture for another 5-10 years at least.
For now it appears that the US instead of focusing on developing its technological base to meet the Huawei challenge appears determined to play dirtier by applying even more sanctions on the company. At the latest press briefing held on the subject of US reaction to Huawei, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, was asked to comment on the US government’s official probe into the advanced Chinese-made chip in Huawei’s latest smartphones.
The response: “We oppose politicising trade and technology issues and overstretching and abusing the concept of national security. The US has abused state power to suppress Chinese companies”.
“[S]anctions and curbs will not stop China’s development. They will only strengthen China’s resolve and capability to seek self-reliance and technological innovation”.
Meanwhile, the US stock market is being impacted by the economic costs of Huawei’s latest product launch. With that as a backdrop, US, Dutch and Taiwanese telecommunication companies have lost billions in trading losses as of Friday, 8 September with wireless chips provider Qualcomm (QCOM -0.24%) tumbling 6.7%, semiconductor equipment systems provider ASML Holding (ASML -1.56%) slumping 4.6%, chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM -0.46%) falling 3.2%, and chipmaker Broadcom (AVGO 0.06%) dipping 2.4% by 1:21 p.m. ET. As for US tech titan Apple, analysts have predicted that the firm could lose as many as 10 million iPhone sales to Huawei.
Usa ignore that people like jensen (nividia), lisa ( amd), david yao,morris ect, there are plenty of them in china and hardworking and very nationalistic. In 2 /3 years china will flood the world with 2-3 nano chips.
i think most pople are dramaticly underestimatng the China’s government’s intensions. i will clarify. On the surface it does seem US chip war is overreacting to simple Chinese innovation but it’s not simply about technological pride. The CCP has a covert agenda as a military vector directly back at the US. So yes its already an unspoken (technological) war that the US didn’t start but realized after the fact.
What bs is that?
China is reacting to US illegal sanctions. Plain and simple. Do you think the chinese would just sit back and wait?
US are sitting on their high horse and think they can control everything, but the world are getting sick and tired of US playing world sheriff. Read the history, every time am empire rises it will also fall and the US is on the way to do so because the US thinks they are smart, guess what, they are not.
Is not that simple. China will need the machine to produce those 3 or 4 Nn chips Wich simply it does not have.
Tonya Harding rivals that US fail to compete is in the US DNA and has been practised and refined into a fine art. What is despicable are the vassal states that not only respond Pavlov fashion to the master’s voice, but read the master’s mind and act in anticipation of the order. Huawei’s espionage accusation was not put out first by US.. it was by a servile vassal state.
China’s ban on Apple products would hurt Apple and in turn pressure US to either rethink about its technological curbs to Huawei and other China companies, or continue to escalate the technology war… Interesting to see what Sullivan could do on the latter with Apple and other tech companies getting more nervous.
The us behaves like the mafia. Huawei will only get more innovative which will lead to America’s demise quicker than expected. well done Huawei and well done the government of China and it’s people
Innovation should only be challenged by playing smarter. Politicians must stop spoiling the technology game field.
it’s not just Huawei, it’s basically Chinese resolve and resilience
Instead of banning other countries the right to developments, the US should just concentrate on developing itself.
Sanctions will backfire on the US. The people of the developing world can see through the antics used by the US against other countries, especially China. We will strongly support the victims by not buying American made products.
Huawei is the Chinese Phoenix rise from the ashes.
Huawei wins again.
The USA has always behaved like a gangster nation, using its muscles to beat down on others to prevent any visible signs of challenge. It uses it’s control over most Western media to drive the false narratives of human rights etc, while killing millions with its invasions and military actions. Human rights indeed The people the US military killed don’t seem to have any rights, except the honor of being killed by US munition or bombs.
human right, democracy, freedom of speech are just any means for dirty American politicians used for their ambitions. For them, there is no Communism or democracy, there is only greedy mind.
The US is only shooting itself in the leg. They should just come to terms with it that gone were the days when everybody looked to them. The world has evolved a whole lot and still is. The harder you push a man, the stronger he becomes. The tactics of muscling people to do their bidding is no longer working and they have to stop it.
The American government is not feeling the pinch right now,rather it is the American businesses and their owners. But eventually they will when these companies can longer meet up with their obligations to the country. Let the sleeping lye I would advise.
I have never been so ashamed to be an American, the games that we play hardly a representative of a leader who champions the democracy in Fairplay, in the case of against Chinese communist party, Start with Trump, Trump never had a plan strategic that made sense, so that Americans will benefit from challenging Chinese government. Blindly follow the Trump without revoke and redirect and polish, Biden’s plan is even worse and suicidal. US gets no respect from the rest of world sanctioning China, in the foreigners eyes America is a dirty player. This image will stay with us for a long time to come. In Asia, America irritates North Koreans by forging an military alliance with South Koreans and Japan, geopolitically speaking this is disastrous because it will put China and Russia less likely to Softing the North Korean government, so this development is very detriment to South Koreans, and furthermore South Korean government is blindly conducting strategy to put its economy in
jeopardy by alienating China. So sad to see the worsening of this situation in the years to come!
the US should have know better.
Had the tables been turned the US would have done the same thing.
saying NO to a technologocical giant like China only makes them more determined.
Now China will be making their own chips without the US or Taiwan , S. Korea and Japan ……and all the $$$ they will save by NOT BUYING chips from the US, Taiwan, S. Korea and Japan will go to R&D into the future chip tech advancements
ill go towards research into the next generaltion of chips
We are 100% with you and China. Shooting your own foot, cutting your biggest consumer market like China defies the logic of capitalist and economist.America just does not make any sense in the long run. History will prove who is the final winner. Just like the famous Tonya Harding’s evil plot of breaking her opponent’s knee does not improve your change of winning the competition. America eats your heart out.
Monopolies which was the diving force of early US economy using legal, non legal tricks to prevail until the very government fear for its survival then they were suppressed. by them and legal Power. This action turned these monopolies into pieces dominated by the political power until now and also used as propaganda outlets to suppress and manipulate minds, commerce and military foreign forces with fear . So the tactic is wrong no matter from where it come from. US is in self destruction mode with little Tim left to breakup and implode permanently (economically speaking)
Why UAS is making hurdles instead competing them in fairly grounds. Actions are entirely against the very foundations of business. Why China is being blocked it means that USA has lost the ground and competition. China is non stop able. New realities are emerging and definitely this time the sun will rise from the EAST.
Early this morning:
Read Professor Lim Teck Ghee’s stunningly comprehensive piece on how Huawei has outsmarted the US led unsuccessful attempt to cripple China’s advances in semi conductor technology.
Professor LIM’s piece is elegantly crafted, crisp, clear and concise — word smithing at its best and in the public interest.
Eurasia review is to be complimented most warmly on publishing such high quality material from an outstanding third world public intellectual.
China and Huawei playing fair? didn’t Huawei steal Cisco router technology?
Looks like a Chinese propaganda article. Agree there is no restrictions on innovations and one shall do it but not by stealing. Every single Chinese mainly evolved around taking the IP by forcing international companies to tech transfer for running business there, copying exact replicas of cars, paying money to professors from leading research universities in US and getting their knowledge by espionage, putting Chinese employees in companies and stealing trade secret. Agree China growing by if that by being thieves not sure I would recommend that. You sounding like US restricted, look at China this whole country grew only by making China friendly rules and block others until they have benefit of stealing or IP. Their fighter jet to submarine to cars to phone all largely are based on tech thefts yet I am not discounting the hard work the people of China has done. Hard work with good intentions does pay off which is very much evident but government policies of theft I am against, just to clear out there are 100s of known documented cases where people were captured at airport, ex employee/professors were caught selling things to China
All the talk about stealing technology is mostly BS. China submits 1.5 million patent applications per year, while the US submits less than 700K applications.
It’s easy to say steal but if the product is not patented and you sold it and took their money, then the buyer owns the product. Normally, partnership deal includes tech transfer, in exchange for access to the China market.
After signing proper agreements and taking their money, don’t turn around and cry foul.