U.S. Steps Back a Bit from the Huawei Cliff

In an unexpected move, the U.S. government will ease some restrictions on Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant, and allow it to collaborate with U.S. companies on 5G and other international standards.

“The United States will not cede leadership in global innovation,” a statement attributed to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross reads. “The department is committed to protecting U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by encouraging U.S. industry to fully engage and advocate for U.S. technologies to become international standards.”

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Huawei is, of course, still blacklisted via its placement on the so-called Entity List. But this change means that U.S. companies are free to collaborate with Huawei on “important standards-developing activities.”

Under the rule, technology that would not have required a license to be disclosed to Huawei before the company’s placement on the Entity List can be disclosed for the purpose of standards development in a standards-development body without the need for an export license, the department says. It adds that the rule promotes U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by facilitating U.S. leadership in standards development bodies.

To be clear, the change does not lift any of the commercial restrictions imposed on Huawei by the U.S. government. In other words, this is more about protecting U.S.-based technology giants than it is about easing business restrictions on Huawei.

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Conversation 8 comments

  • nbplopes

    16 June, 2020 - 9:38 am

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The United States will not cede leadership in global innovation"</span></p><p><br></p><p>Meaning a non American leader in global innovation on a subject becomes a criminal? Is that OK?</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      16 June, 2020 - 10:07 am

      <blockquote><a href="#546753"><em>In reply to nbplopes:</em></a></blockquote><p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The United States will not cede leadership in global innovation"</span></p><p>I would say that that boat sailed a long time ago, in many areas.</p>

      • RonV42

        Premium Member
        16 June, 2020 - 10:36 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#546763">In reply to wright_is:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote><em>The boat may have sailed but we cannot allow "standards" to be manipulated to the point where only select companies and countries are represented..</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

        • peterc

          Premium Member
          16 June, 2020 - 10:45 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#546774">In reply to RonV42:</a></em></blockquote><p>Ron – if you dont want others to lead on standards then you have to invest significantly and be a first mover too. The US didnt for years and let the Chinese firms progress to the point were at today. The fact you dont like it after the event is quite frankly, sour grapes and your administrations response to the situation cut your own firms off from participating in stds development too… a complete own goal! </p>

        • Vladimir Carli

          Premium Member
          16 June, 2020 - 1:54 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#546774"><em>In reply to RonV42:</em></a></blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote><em>sure, only the US should be allowed to manipulate standards</em></blockquote>

        • nbplopes

          16 June, 2020 - 5:57 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#546774">In reply to RonV42:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>There is something rotten in that stance. </p><p><br></p><p>The only way is to compete technologically and in values. But this approach seams to be failing both ways.</p><p><br></p>

  • peterc

    Premium Member
    16 June, 2020 - 10:31 am

    <p>Hilarious. The ultimate "doh" reaction to shooting yourself in the foot – whats amazing is how long its taken this US administration to realise they'd actually cut their own industries/businesses off from core development information exchanges and rectify the necessary changes. Slow and clueless.</p><p><br></p><p>Lets be clear Huawei are way ahead of others on 5G and next gen 6G (and other areas) ….. they've invested serious money in this field already. The US Govt foreign policy response is all about trying to delay Huawei and other Chinese businesses from establishing an unassailable technological lead in numerous fields, by disrupting Chinese businesses from furthering their business development and trying to buy time to let US business catch up…..</p><p><br></p><p>So much for the free market economy the US pontificates about….. hilarious double standards. Talk about how to wreck your global standing in 4 short years…. </p>

  • SvenJ

    16 June, 2020 - 12:58 pm

    <p>"<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">will not cede leadership in global innovation" You have to have it before you can cede it.</span></p>

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