The United States Commerce Secretary, Gina Raimondo, said on Sunday, April 21, that the Huawei Mate 60 Pro phone's processor is not as sophisticated as American chips. According to her, this proves that US semiconductor sanctions on China are effective.
Huawei Viewed as Indicative of US-China Chip War
The debut of Huawei's new phone last August, driven by the most advanced semiconductor China has produced, caught both the industry and the US government off guard. Since 2019, Huawei has been listed as a company subject to US trade restrictions.
Despite Washington's persistent attempts to limit China's ability to make sophisticated semiconductors, the Huawei Mate 60 Pro represented China's technological revival.
Furthermore, many saw the smartphone's release as a personal blow to Raimondo, who was in China at the time.
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Raimondo Claims US Chip Sanctions Are Working
Raimondo said to CBS News' 60 Minutes that the chip sanctions imposed by the US are having its intended impact.
"What it tells me is that the export controls are working because that chip is not nearly as good-it's years behind what we have in the United States," she pointed out, according to Reuters. We have the most sophisticated semiconductors in the world. China doesn't. We've out-innovated China."
Worrying that China might utilize these cutting-edge semiconductor chips to bolster its military capabilities, the US has been struggling to prevent the nation from acquiring them and the equipment needed to manufacture them.
US vendors had to apply for a difficult-to-obtain authorization to export supplies to Huawei-a symbol of that tech conflict-when it was included in the entity list in 2019 due to suspicions it may spy on Americans.
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