WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chip used in sanctioned Chinese company Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro phone is not as advanced as U.S. chips, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Sunday, arguing it shows U.S. restrictions on supplies to the giant telecommunications equipment are working. .
Huawei, which has been on a trade restriction list since 2019, surprised the industry and the US government when it launched a new phone powered by a sophisticated chip last August. The Huawei Mate 60 Pro was seen as a symbol of China’s technological renaissance, despite Washington’s ongoing efforts to undermine its ability to produce advanced semiconductors.
Many also took it as an insult to Raimondo, who was visiting China when he was released. But in an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” Raimondo denied that view.
“What this tells me is that export controls are working because this chip is not nearly as good … it is years behind what we have in the United States,” she said. “We have the most complex semiconductors in the world. China doesn’t do that.”
Washington has been trying for years to deny Beijing advanced semiconductor chips and the tools needed to make them over fears they could be used to bolster China’s military capabilities.
Huawei, a symbol of this tech war, was added to the so-called Entity List in 2019 amid concerns that it could spy on Americans, forcing its American suppliers to seek a hard-to-find license to supply it with goods.
But its suppliers, including Intel (NASDAQ:), have secured billions of dollars in licenses to continue selling the company. Huawei’s unveiling this month of its first artificial intelligence-enabled laptop with an Intel chip has sparked anger among hardliners in China.
When asked if she was tough enough in big business, Raimondo responded emphatically.
“I hold businesses to the same responsibility that I hold others accountable,” she told Lesley Stahl on “60 Minutes.” “When I tell them they can’t sell their semiconductors to China, they don’t like it, but I do it,” she added.
The Huawei phone has also prompted a probe by the Biden administration to find out details of the chip that powers it, the most advanced semiconductor device China has made so far. But details of the review were sparse.