Over the weekend the internet became crazed by reports that Google was cutting ties with giant Chinese Tech firm, Huawei. The decision came shortly after an executive order was signed by the US President, Donald Trump outlawing future Huawei devices from accessing the US market including its ability to source goods and services from American companies.
Over the years US intelligence agency has continued to accuse Huawei of posing a threat to its national security by spying on American citizens and companies further proving that the trade war between the US and China is not about to end anytime soon.
The ban prompted Google being a US company to abide by directives and revoke Huawei’s Android license.
“We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications,” a company spokesperson wrote in an email to Reuters
Other US companies such as Qualcomm and Intel were also been forced to stop selling components and software to Huawei.
In an official statement after the ban, Huawei’s representative to the European Union described the company as a “victim of bullying” by the US government The company further explained that it had really played a key role in the expansion of the Android ecosystem.
“Huawei has made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world. As one of Android’s key global partners, we have worked closely with their open-source platform to develop an ecosystem that has benefited both users and the industry,” Huawei said.
After the much-heated debate, The US Commerce Department in what is seen as a recoil-back has lessened up its restrictions on Huawei’s access to American components and software that go into its devices.
The US Commerce Department yesterday suspended its initial order of blacklisting the Chinese tech firm for at least 90 days.
This license is only valid until 19th August 2019, after which the ban will be back is expected to be in full effect. The U.S. government decided to do this after the complete ban affected rural areas in the U.S. which rely on Huawei’s networking infrastructure.
In this period Huawei will be able to purchase American-made goods “in order to maintain existing networks and provide software updates to existing Huawei handsets”, according to a Reuters report. However, “the company is still prohibited from buying American parts and components to manufacture new products without license approvals that likely will be denied”.
“The Temporary General License grants operators time to make other arrangements and the Department space to determine the appropriate long term measures for Americans and foreign telecommunications providers that currently rely on Huawei equipment for critical services,” Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in a statement.
“In short, this license will allow operations to continue for existing Huawei mobile phone users and rural broadband networks.”
To this effect, Google has also temporarily reversed its decision to revoke Chinese tech manufacturer Huawei’s Android operating system license.
In a statement sent out on Tuesday Google said it will continue to work with Huawei while that license is in effect.
“Keeping phones up to date and secure is in everyone’s best interests and this temporary license allows us to continue to provide software updates and security patches to existing models for the next 90 days,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement.
In response, the company founder Ren Zhengfei on Tuesday evening told the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV that the reprieve wouldn’t make much of an impact on its plans.
#Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei says 90-day extension in U.S. “doesn’t mean much” and Huawei is fully prepared, in a group interview with Chinese media pic.twitter.com/q1THhHdnCM
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) May 21, 2019
