From banned to homegrown parts, China's Huawei defies US sanctions

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Mar 2023 10:19

Huawei, a leading supplier of telecom gear, smartphones, and other advanced equipment, was often targeted by Washington over cybersecurity concerns over the past few years.

The logo of Huawei is seen in front of the local offices of Huawei in Warsaw, Poland January 11, 2019. (Reuters)

Chinese technology giant Huawei replaced thousands of components used for their products banned by the United States with homegrown versions, according to a transcript of a recent speech released by a Shanghai university.

Huawei, a leading supplier of telecom gear, smartphones, and other advanced equipment, was often the target of Washington sanctions over alleged cybersecurity concerns over the past few years.

Former US President Donald Trump effectively barred American companies from doing business with Huawei. Current US President, Joe Biden, imposed further sanctions, including the ban on sales of new Huawei equipment in the United States.

These actions led the firm to search for a replacement to obtain semiconductors and other parts, as founder Ren Zhengfei reported that Huawei has replaced more than 13,000 components with domestic versions over the past three years, according to the transcript posted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University on Friday.

Ren pointed out on February 24 that the company redeveloped more than 4,000 circuit boards for its products.

"As of now, our circuit board (production) has stabilized, because we have a supply of domestically produced components," he said.

Details were not given about what specific parts were being sourced from within China or what proportion of Huawei's total supply they represented.

"Difficulties with manufacturing advanced microchips in China, so we have to find other ways of making up ground (with the US) on chips," responded Ren to a question from an audience member.

The Chinese technology giant's founder reported that they spent $23.8 billion on research and development last year and plan to invest more in the coming years.

"We're still in a difficult period, but have not stopped on the road towards progress," he said.