Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      The little-known company disrupting Eskom’s monopoly

      16 June 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E2: South Africa’s digital battlefield

      16 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Beijing’s chip champions blacklisted by Taiwan

      16 June 2025

      Chief sub-editor wanted – help shape South African tech media

      16 June 2025
    • World

      Yahoo tries to make its mail service relevant again

      13 June 2025

      Qualcomm shows off new chip for AI smart glasses

      11 June 2025

      Trump tariffs to dim 2025 smartphone shipments

      4 June 2025

      Shrimp Jesus and the AI ad invasion

      4 June 2025

      Apple slams EU rules as ‘flawed and costly’ in major legal pushback

      2 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025

      Digital fortress: We go inside JB5, Teraco’s giant new AI-ready data centre

      30 May 2025

      Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s big bet to out-Apple Apple

      22 May 2025

      South Africa unveils big state digital reform programme

      12 May 2025

      Is this the end of Google Search as we know it?

      12 May 2025
    • TCS

      TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

      8 June 2025

      TCS+ | The future of mobile money, with MTN’s Kagiso Mothibi

      6 June 2025

      TCS+ | AI is more than hype: Workday execs unpack real human impact

      4 June 2025

      TCS | Sentiv, and the story behind the buyout of Altron Nexus

      3 June 2025

      TCS | Signal restored: Unpacking the Blue Label and Cell C turnaround

      28 May 2025
    • Opinion

      Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

      2 June 2025

      South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

      2 June 2025

      Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

      29 May 2025

      Solar panic? The truth about SSEG, fines and municipal rules

      14 April 2025

      Data protection must be crypto industry’s top priority

      9 April 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » In-depth » Trump is entering dangerous territory in war on Huawei

    Trump is entering dangerous territory in war on Huawei

    By Agency Staff16 May 2019
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    Twin moves by the White House and US commerce department have made clear where the US stands on Chinese technology, specifically Huawei Technologies.

    The message to US companies seeking to buy products from the telecommunications equipment vendor is unambiguous: “Don’t even think about it!” The message to Huawei, meanwhile, is: “Don’t push us!”

    In his executive order, US President Donald Trump summarised the administration’s view: “Foreign adversaries are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology and services.”

    The US has not made any evidence publicly available that supports its assertion the company’s equipment could enable espionage

    The order then handed bureaucratic and administrative matters to the commerce department, which said it’s going to add Huawei to its already extensive “Entity List”, meaning US firms may need a licence to sell to the Chinese company.

    The development shouldn’t be a great surprise. US officials have been campaigning against Huawei for some time. The clarity that US businesses can’t buy its equipment is a good thing for both sides. On the other hand, dangling the risk of a ban on US component sales to the company is bad. On the former, all parties know where they stand. On the latter, no one does.

    This is dangerous territory. Huawei’s compatriot ZTE felt the full force of such curbs last year when the inability to buy US chips prevented the company from building products. Huawei would be similarly crippled by such a move, even if its own semiconductor prowess would limit the impact.

    Huge difference

    Yet there’s a huge difference between the two companies. ZTE was not only caught selling equipment to Iran in contravention of an embargo, it reneged on a deal with the US to make amends. It was the second infraction that led to the ban.

    Huawei hasn’t been charged with anything, nor has the US made any evidence publicly available that supports its assertion the company’s equipment could enable espionage. To ban Huawei without levying charges would raise tensions between Washington and Beijing by an order of magnitude greater than anything we’ve seen so far.

    A ban on sales to the US is less of a concern for Huawei. The US$109-billion company had pretty much given up there anyway. Any restriction on trade is an annoyance, but its executives can at least stop entertaining any dreams of growing in a market where it has minimal presence. Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung Electronics can now fight it out for the US business.

    More importantly, the US actions feed a narrative that the campaign against Huawei is political rather than security related. That could be a useful campaign tool as the company looks to ply its wares in more amenable nations. Europe, Asia and emerging markets in Latin America and Africa stand to be far more lucrative customers in any case.

    Donald Trump may have stopped Huawei entering the US. But he hasn’t stopped Huawei.  — By Tim Culpan, (c) 2019 Bloomberg LP



    Donald Trump Huawei top ZTE
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleTrump turns the screws on Huawei
    Next Article Jet-powered flying taxi unveiled following first flight

    Related Posts

    Coal to cash: South Africa gets major boost for energy shift

    13 June 2025

    China is behind in AI chips – but for how much longer?

    13 June 2025

    10 red flags for Apple investors

    13 June 2025
    Company News

    Huawei Watch Fit 4 Series: smarter sensors, sharper design, stronger performance

    13 June 2025

    Change Logic and BankservAfrica set new benchmark with PayShap roll-out

    13 June 2025

    SAPHILA 2025 – transcending with purpose, connection and AI-powered vision

    13 June 2025
    Opinion

    Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

    2 June 2025

    South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

    2 June 2025

    Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

    29 May 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.