Chinese tech giant Huawei has replaced thousands of components of U.S.-banned products with local versions, its founder said, according to a transcript of a recent speech released by a Shanghai university.
A leading provider of telecommunications equipment, smartphones and other advanced equipment, Huawei has been repeatedly targeted by Washington in recent years over cybersecurity and espionage concerns.
Former President Donald Trump’s administration effectively banned American companies from doing business with the company, and his successor Joe Biden imposed new sanctions, including a ban on the sale of new Huawei equipment in the United States.
These decisions forced the company to find new ways to obtain semiconductors and other parts. Founder Ren Zhengfei said Huawei replaced more than 13,000 components with domestic versions over the past three years, according to the transcript released by Shanghai Jiao Tong University on Friday. .
The company has also redeveloped more than 4,000 circuit boards for its products, Ren said at the conference held Feb. 24.
“As of now, our circuit board (production) has stabilized, as we have a supply of locally produced components,” he said.
He did not elaborate on the specific parts coming from China or what proportion of Huawei’s total supply they represent.
AFP could not independently verify Ren’s claims, and a Huawei representative had no further comment when contacted by AFP on Saturday.
Responding to a question from an audience member, Ren said there are still “difficulties with advanced microchip manufacturing in China, so we need to find other ways to catch up (with the US) on fleas”.
He added that Huawei spent $23.8 billion on research and development last year and would invest more in coming years as profits increase.
“We are still in a difficult period, but we have not stopped on the path to progress,” he said.
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