Huawei’s MateBook X Pro | Image:Huawei
Intel-Huawei tension: Republican lawmakers in the United States expressed outrage after Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications giant under trade restrictions, revealed a new laptop featuring an Intel AI chip. The Biden administration faced criticism for allowing Intel to ship these chips to Huawei despite previous sanctions.
Huawei has been on a trade restriction list since 2019 due to violations of Iran sanctions, aiming to limit China’s technological advancement. While a licence issued by the Trump administration permitted Intel to supply processors to Huawei for laptops, many expected this licence to expire without renewal.
The unveiling of Huawei’s MateBook X Pro, equipped with Intel’s Core Ultra 9 processor, sparked anger amongst lawmakers who believed the Commerce Department had approved shipments of the new chip to Huawei.
Commerce dept criticised
Republican Congressman Michael Gallagher, chair of the House select committee on China, voiced frustration, questioning why the Department of Commerce continued to allow such technology to reach Huawei.
Although sources indicated that the chips were shipped under existing licences and not subject to recent broad restrictions on AI chip exports to China, neither the Commerce Department nor Intel commented on the matter. Huawei remained silent on requests for comment.
This reaction reflects mounting pressure on the Biden administration to take stronger action against Huawei’s expansion, despite being on the trade restriction list for nearly five years.
In August, Huawei surprised the world with a new phone powered by a chip from sanctioned Chinese chipmaker SMIC, highlighting China’s technological progress despite US efforts to hinder its semiconductor capabilities.
Huawei tech restrictions
At a Senate subcommittee hearing, Kevin Kurland, an export enforcement official, acknowledged the impact of restrictions on Huawei’s access to US technology. However, he stressed the goal was to prevent Huawei from misusing such technology for nefarious purposes, rather than impeding its growth.
Nevertheless, Republican lawmakers, including Congressman Michael McCaul, expressed frustration, demanding an end to approvals for supplying technology to Huawei, citing broken promises of halting such licences made two years prior.
(With Reuters Inputs)
