Huawei ban: US grants a reprieve

The US has eased a measure banning trade with Huawei without government approval. The softened restrictions will initially be valid for 90 days. In reaction to the ban Google had stopped delivering Android updates for smartphones produced by the Chinese company. How will the conflict affect the technology sectors in the US and China?

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Kaleva (FI) /

Chinese could win this battle

The row with Huawei could end up hurting US companies, Kaleva warns:

“The end of the collaboration between Google and Huawei won't cause immediate problems for the average Huawei user. But these problems may arise with future phones if Huawei users don't have access to popular Google apps. This could cause a slump in Huawei's sales. Another issue entirely is who will emerge and the winner and who as the loser of this confrontation. Trump's decisions could backfire on the US. It's entirely possible that Huawei, with its huge resources, will develop services and components that are just as good as the US's, even if it takes a while. As a result, Google and other US companies could end up losing market share.”

Il Sole 24 Ore (IT) /

Cold technology war

Despite the reprieve Huawei has been granted the digital world could soon split in two, warns technology expert Biagio Simonetta in Il Sole 24 Ore:

“If this is the start of a technological cold war, Huawei could be just the tip of the iceberg. Because Beijing's reaction to the American ban could be fierce. ... Even with the restrictions on smartphones in China, android is still a common denominator. But the days of this joint link could be numbered. The new position of the United States, which is far more aggressive than in the past, could accelerate this process, and the day is coming when the Chinese will only be able to use Chinese phones and gadgets that operate on Chinese chips and software. The same goes for America. One technology, two worlds.”

Sabah (TR) /

Trump good for a laugh at best

Trump's decision on Huawei takes his absurdities to a new level, Sabah comments:

“The simplest way to take a breather and gain a little distance from Turkey's stormy domestic policy is to focus on the words and deeds of the US president. Because Trump's behaviour and comments are now so far removed from any semblance of seriousness that it would be better to see him as a source of relaxation and entertainment.”

Duma (BG) /

A cheap attempt to sell US technology

Trump's trade war with China is starting to hurt European consumers, Duma comments annoyed:

“China's economic ascent has the US so scared that it is desperately trying to put an end to it now. However it won't be only the US and China that suffer the consequences, but the whole world. The trade war Trump has ignited also poses a threat to Europe because Washington wants us Europeans to shun Chinese technology. And what options does this leave us? Exactly: to buy American technology. That's the real goal. Yet Chinese smartphones and networking equipment have become cheaper and cheaper in recent years and - incredible but true - they are of better quality than the American ones nowadays.”

De Tijd (BE) /

Wounded dragons can be dangerous

US President Donald Trump is taking a huge risk with his strategy of isolating Huawei, warns De Tijd:

“Trump has scored a tactical success. But is his move clever in the long term? Yes, if he can force China to negotiate and sign an agreement that ends the trade war. But things could take a different turn: Huawei's exclusion from the international android segment could be a strong incentive for China to develop its own technology and secure its independence from foreign companies. It has the necessary resources, and Huawei has 80,000 people working in its R&D department. If you can't join them, beat them. Will that help the US and American companies? A wounded dragon can be even more aggressive and dangerous.”

The Guardian (GB) /

Trump, the accidental revolutionary

The Guardian is delighted at the US government's actions:

“Both Huawei and Google will find their wings clipped. Alternatives will spring up. Domestic legislators will be emboldened to tax and regulate. This is an industry in its infancy. But the break-up of the giants of the information age - as of any age - is in the interests of openness and freedom. Trump could yet prove an accidental revolutionary.”

Corriere del Ticino (CH) /

Beijing acting unfairly

Like all Chinese firms Huawei is firmly under the control of the state so Beijing needn't be surprised that there's resentment over this, writes historian Ernesto Galli della Loggia in Corriere del Ticino:

“The truth is that China, which has globalisation and access to the global markets to thank for its brilliant economic success and its dizzying growth rates, has played with a marked deck and continues to do so. While the big Western states all more or less stick to the rule of not helping their national companies in any way, Beijing believes it can do as it pleases. That means doing what best suits its own interests.”