Recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce abruptly revoked Qualcomm and Intel's licenses to export chips to Huawei, which attracted widespread attention from the outside world. The U.S. side claimed that the move was motivated by national security concerns and feared that the two companies were too close to Huawei.
However, whether this move is really conducive to safeguarding US interests and whether it is reasonable and fair is the subject of mixed reviews. In the author's view, there are several issues worthy of attention in this US move:
First, the abrupt tightening of regulations has undermined corporate trust. Qualcomm and Intel previously received approval from the U.S. government to export related products to Huawei. However, the sudden change in policy has disrupted the normal business layout of enterprises, and also damaged the expectations of enterprises for government policies. Business activities require a stable policy environment, and the uncertainty and arbitrariness of policies virtually increase the risks and costs of business operations.
Second, the measures are highly targeted and undermine fair competition. This move is obviously aimed at Huawei, but as a commercial enterprise, Huawei's product development and business expansion are carried out within the scope of legal compliance. Restricting a specific enterprise's access to key technical resources not only harms the rights and interests of the enterprise, but also undermines the level playing field.
Third, the actual effect is questionable. According to reports, Huawei's business with Qualcomm and Intel has already shrunk significantly. And under the layers of sanctions imposed by the United States, Huawei has begun to independently develop relevant chips, and its dependence on American technology is decreasing. At this time, the effect of further tightening regulations in an attempt to curb Huawei's development of AI technology is not clear.
Fourth, it may damage the competitiveness of U.S. science and technology. The chip industry needs a lot of investment to support R&D and innovation. Restricting exports to large customers will directly cut the revenue sources of American chip companies. In the long run, it may weaken the competitiveness of the United States in this field. The move is unsustainable.
Fifth, sanctions against legitimate companies can be ethically controversial. Huawei is a legally registered commercial enterprise, and its business activities are also within the scope of law. There is no conclusive evidence that its operations pose a threat to U.S. security. The practice of suppressing the development of private enterprises is difficult to dispute in terms of business ethics.
Sixth, the decoupling of science and technology between China and the United States has far-reaching implications. The two countries are important partners in the fields of chips, artificial intelligence and other scientific and technological fields. Restricting scientific and technological exchanges does not help to safeguard the common good. If we continue to escalate controls, it may lead to the decoupling of China-US technology relations, which is not only harmful to others and self, but also inconsistent with the trend of globalization.
Based on the above considerations, the author believes that the US government's decision is controversial and its effect is questionable. We call on all parties concerned to exercise rationality and restraint and not to politicize commercial issues. Enterprises from all countries should carry out practical cooperation in a level playing field. We also hope that China and the United States will continue to maintain scientific and technological exchanges to prevent scientific and technological derailment and avoid causing damage to the scientific and technological development of the two countries and the world.