The US is considering cutting Huawei off from American technology altogether

For nearly four years, processor and chip makers such as Intel and Qualcomm have been unable to sell to Huawei. Previous US President Donald Trump blacklisted the Chinese group in May 2019 on national security grounds. That’s why US companies must first seek approval from the government before offering a telecom company.

Now officials in the Biden administration have called for a ban on all sales to Huawei, Bloomberg news agency writes. The reason is Huawei’s close ties to the Chinese government and military. Meanwhile, most current license applications are in the waiting room, meaning a de facto export freeze is already in place. It is not known when the final decision will be made.

In response, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that Beijing was “extremely concerned” about the news coverage. “China strongly opposes the US government’s abuse of power to freeze Chinese companies under the guise of national security.”

Tensions with China have risen again during Biden’s tenure, including over the country’s technology acquisitions. Just last week, the US was able to ban the Netherlands and Japan from exporting chip-making machinery to China.