In April this year, with the release of new AI-supported notebooks and smartphones by Huawei, the US Department of Commerce imposed sanctions. So, what is the effect of the US sanctions on Huawei and its independent research and development progress?
Experts believe that in the future, the US-China tech war will periodically update its control list, making its strikes more precise and detailed. As a result, Huawei’s development will slow down, widening the gap with the West.
Huawei, deeply connected with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has become a symbol and frontline entity in the US-China tech war. Its products to some extent represent the CCP’s so-called technological innovation and independent development. Whenever Huawei launches a new product, the CCP’s propaganda machine will hype it up, triggering a new round of US sanctions.
Last August, Huawei released the flagship 5G smartphone Mate 60 Pro designed to compete with Apple devices, equipped with the advanced 7nm Kirin 9000s chip manufactured by SMIC. It quickly faced backlash from the US, leading to the US Commerce Department sending dozens of letters to SMIC’s American suppliers, halting product sales to SMIC.
On April 11 this year, Huawei released its latest MateBook X Pro notebook computer, supporting artificial intelligence and powered by Intel’s “Core Ultra 9” processor, causing shock and anger among US legislators.
In a statement to Reuters, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul stated that the export licenses must be stopped. He mentioned that two years ago, he was informed that licenses for Huawei would be halted, and it seems that the policy has not changed.
Under pressure from US lawmakers, on May 7, the US Commerce Department confirmed the revocation of export licenses to Huawei, preventing Intel and Qualcomm from selling chips for smartphones and laptops to Huawei.
Dai Zhiyan, Deputy Researcher at the International Economic Research Institute of China Institute of Economic Research, expressed to Dajiyuan that Huawei launches new smartphones every year, possibly surpassing the US government’s control expectations for chip advancement. This prompts a reconsideration of whether previous controls have been effective and if the control measures need to be increased.
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