back to article Huawei's defiant spinning top says Chinese vendor can cope with renewed US sanctions

Huawei's rotating chairman has admitted to the world's media that his organisation has been "impacted" by a year of US sanctions against it – and he's quite unhappy with France, too. Guo Ping emphasised in a press conference this morning that "survival is the key word for us at present" as he answered questions at an event …

  1. lglethal Silver badge
    Devil

    I always find it funny when companies in nations that operate a locals only policy complain about other countries implementing the same approach.

    "How dare you not allow me to play in your garden! Just because you're not allowed to play in my garden, you've no right to deny me access to your garden!"

    1. Rameses Niblick the Third Kerplunk Kerplunk Whoops Where's My Thribble?

      Indeed. See also: the USA.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Hu No Awei

    2. big_D Silver badge

      Except it isn't a locals only policy. The US sanctions don't just affect US companies, it is a world-wide ban on dealing with Huawei, if you have any US technology in your plants. Talk about overreach.

      1. lglethal Silver badge
        Go

        Actually I was talking about China's locals only policy. If you want to do business in China, you have to hand over all your IP, you have to team up with a local firm with majority Chinese shareholders and they can take whatever they want and run with it. And if the Chinese governments decides they want to give a boost to a local firm then they can kick you out without warning, and hand over all of your IP to the local firm.

        It's happened multiple times, so this isnt scaremongering. Hauwei got so big, because the Chinese government made it extremely difficult for outside firms to compete in China, that allowed Hauwei to get up to speed, when if they had been facing the already established players at that point, they would have gone under very quickly.

        Was that good for China? In the long run, yes. Look at Hauwei now, its a world leading firm. But now countries are starting to hit back. So i stand by my statement that i find it funny that a firm who only succeeded because of the restrictions its government put in place to protect them, is now complaining that other countries are putting in similar protections to help their firms succeed.

        1. big_D Silver badge

          I was thinking more about the other angle, me sitting in Europe, beholden to European law and suddenly Trump, a person who has theoretically no legal power over me, can decide that, because I am using a US based cloud or Windows or a piece of plant bought from a company with US influence, I can't sell to my customers.

          It makes using US products untenable, as I may wake up tomorrow and find I don't have access to my products any more or I am not allowed to sell to my customers, because "Trump slept badly last night".

          1. lglethal Silver badge
            Go

            Actually this isnt new. Well it's new for IT i guess, but it's no different to ITAR restrictions in the space/aerospace industry. Which basically means that we (a European aerospace firm) tend to use as few american components as possible, usually zero unless were really really stuck, so that we don't fall under ITAR restrictions.

            So rather than protecting american jobs, it just drives the american companies offshore, or drives their customers to other suppliers.

        2. Muppet Boss

          >>"How dare you not allow me to play in your garden! Just because you're not allowed to play in my garden, you've no right to deny me access to your garden!"

          >Actually I was talking about China's locals only policy. If you want to do business in China, you have to hand over all your IP, you have to team up with a local firm with majority Chinese shareholders and they can take whatever they want and run with it. And if the Chinese governments decides they want to give a boost to a local firm then they can kick you out without warning, and hand over all of your IP to the local firm.

          Does this mean that Apple had to hand over its IP, source code and lawyers' souls to sell $50bln worth of iThings into China every year? Do WOFE not exist in China? Is the "negative list" not becoming smaller year-on-year?

          Preferential treatment of local businesses is nothing new in any country, however large US enterprises are notorious for their gangster methods abroad and getting away with it at home. What could be the punishment for financially aiding a terrorist organization, smuggling lethal weapons to the terrorist organization and assisting it in smuggling drugs if you are a large US banana company? A fine amounting to the monies paid out to the terrorists ($1.7mln) and 8 employees wanted by a foreign state for terrorism fired without criminal charges, denied extradition.

          What about having a large competitor such as Huawei and try to put them out of business worldwide by denying them supply of essential components to disrupt their manufacturing chain? The sanctions seem to be carefully targeted to disrupt Huawei's worldwide sales, not just in the US' own garden.

          China has a strong way to retaliate in the short term by restricting exports and/or re-exports of rare earths to US-owned companies on national security grounds however it is a double-edged sword since it would further disrupt global supply chains and lose China much goodwill from the global manufacturing community in the same fashion the US lost much goodwill by their disruptive actions. Surely, not only Huawei is looking to be able to replace US-tainted components now.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Bloody tourists

    I hope the French ban all those Chinese tourists. They're a menace.

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      Re: Bloody tourists

      What, and ban money ? Are you mad ? Do you have any idea how much they spend in Paris ?

      Can't go without that. Although, that's exactly what we're doing at this point in time . . .

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Bloody tourists

      >I hope the French ban all those Chinese tourists. They're a menace.

      Enjoy the moment.

  3. IGotOut Silver badge

    Mixing up policies.

    I feel there is no issue saying "Buy British" "Buy Made In USA" or whatever the French version is. No problem at all with that.

    The issue is when you make up bullshit, stoke unfounded fears and spout xenophobic crap, no matter which country is involved.

    Promoting yourself. Good

    Demonising others. Bad

    1. Will Godfrey Silver badge

      Re: Mixing up policies.

      Or as someone once said:

      "You don't improve your own reputation by attacking some one else's"

      Can't remeber the exact words, but that was the crux of it.

  4. MiguelC Silver badge
    Headmaster

    Re: France's ongoing "digital sovereignty" policy, or "souverainete numerique"

    If you're going to put in the French original to the English translation (although it's a literal translation, no need for the original there), you should at least write it correctly "souveraineté numérique" (yes, accentuation does change the way words sound)

  5. egbegb

    Perhaps other countries should inflict on all Chinese companies (Huawei included) the same restrictions China imposed on Americans. First Huawei must give to the governments of all countries with whom Huawei wants to do business, open access to all Huawei intellectual property. Second, we all must be able to see into their bookkeeping, financial records and investments. What's goose for the good is also gander for the good.

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