In 2019, Huawei was subjected to a sweeping crackdown by the U.S. government, which limited its ability to procure key chips and software. Many people believe that this will become the "fatal wound" of Huawei's development, and even lead it to the brink of bankruptcy. However, it has been proven that Huawei did not fall on this ground, but instead stimulated a strong impetus for independent innovation in the face of adversity, and made breakthroughs in key technology fields.
Now, after 4 years, the U.S. government has taken action again and revoked the export licenses of chip companies such as Qualcomm and Intel to Huawei. This means that Huawei will hardly be able to obtain any computing power-related chips from the United States. Foreign media commented that "it's too late to come."
But for Huawei, this is just another round of difficulties. Over the past four years, the company's ability to withstand pressure has been greatly enhanced. On the road of "domestic substitution", Huawei has not only been more fully prepared, but also burst out with a strong driving force for innovation. This new storm of sanctions may become a key opportunity to motivate Huawei to go further.
Huawei is facing unprecedented difficulties
In May 2019, the U.S. government imposed a ban on Huawei that lost access to key chips and software in the U.S. and its allies. This has undoubtedly cast a shadow on Huawei's development.
Public opinion at the time generally believed that Huawei would fall into an existential crisis. After all, chips and software are the lifeblood of high-tech business development, and without these key supports, Huawei's product production and technological innovation will be unsustainable.
In fact, Huawei was in a very difficult situation at that time. It is reported that Intel alone accounts for about 30% of Huawei's chip procurement. With this key supply line cut off, it is impossible for Huawei's production order not to be seriously impacted.
In addition, in terms of operating system, Huawei also had to give up using Google's Android system and switch to independent research and development of the HarmonyOS system. However, as a brand-new system, there is still huge uncertainty about whether Hongmeng can truly replace Android and become the fundamental support of Huawei's products.
It can be said that since 2019, Huawei has encountered unprecedented difficulties. Not only is it facing a cliff-like decline in chip and software supply, but it is also necessary to carry out new independent research and development in key areas such as operating systems and app stores, which is undoubtedly a huge challenge for a technology company.
Many people predict that under such circumstances, it will be difficult for Huawei to continue to maintain rapid development, and it may even be on the verge of bankruptcy. But it turns out that their judgment of Huawei is wrong.
Huawei's strong resistance to pressure in the face of adversity
In the face of the comprehensive suppression by the U.S. government, Huawei did not back down, but achieved a re-emergence in the face of adversity with unimaginable resilience and innovation.
Among them, the most important is Huawei's independent research and development capabilities in the field of chips. After losing the supply of chips from the United States such as Intel and Qualcomm, Huawei quickly focused on independent research and development of chips and made breakthroughs.
In August 2023, Huawei officially released the new Kirin 9000S chip, which has achieved significant improvements in performance and power consumption. It is reported that the comprehensive performance of this chip even surpassed the most advanced Snapdragon 8 Gen2 chip at that time. This achievement not only fills the gap in Huawei's high-end mobile phone chips, but also demonstrates the strong innovation strength of Chinese enterprises to the world.
At the same time, Huawei has also made a major breakthrough in the development of the HarmonyOS operating system. Different from the initial confusion and uncertainty, the HarmonyOS system has now become the main operating system for Huawei's mobile phones and laptops, and has made great progress in terms of user experience and ecosystem construction.
It can be said that independent innovation in key core technologies has become a key support for Huawei's re-emergence in the face of adversity. Despite the sanctions imposed by the U.S. government time and time again, Huawei has never given up on tackling key problems and making breakthroughs in these areas.
In addition, Huawei has also demonstrated extraordinary adaptability in terms of industry chain integration and market development. In the face of the disruption of the chip supply chain, Huawei quickly adjusted its strategic focus and accelerated the localization of the industrial chain to ensure the continuous supply of products. At the same time, Huawei is actively exploring new overseas markets and expanding its influence around the world.
To sum up, the key to Huawei's strong rise in the face of adversity lies in its strong resilience and innovation engine. The U.S. government's repeated crackdowns have never been able to defeat it, but have inspired Huawei's determination to further improve its independent innovation capabilities. This resilience is deeply admirable.
The United States once again "killed the tiger"
Just as Huawei is gradually getting out of its predicament and re-emerging, the U.S. government has once again launched a new round of suppression against it.
According to reports, the Biden administration recently revoked the licenses of American chip companies such as Qualcomm and Intel to export chips to Huawei. This means that it will be difficult for Huawei to obtain any computing power-related chips from the United States in the future.
In this regard, foreign media commented, "It's too late to come." This judgment can be said to be quite pertinent. After all, the U.S. government had already targeted Huawei for suppression four years ago, and now it is undoubtedly making the final "killing" of a "tiger" by striking again.
As for the US government's reasoning, it is still on the grounds of "national security". The tightening of chip restrictions this time is said to be because companies such as Qualcomm and Intel are "getting too close to China".
This statement is undoubtedly self-contradictory. On the one hand, the United States prides itself on being a "scientific and technological power" and should also have strong self-confidence in its own technology. On the other hand, it fears that its own companies are "too close" to China, which could jeopardize national security. Isn't this a big "face" for yourself?
In fact, the fundamental reason why the U.S. government has frequently suppressed Huawei is not simply a "national security" consideration. The deeper reason is that Huawei's rapid rise has begun to threaten the United States' dominance in key technology fields.
Huawei has taken the lead in many areas, from 5G to artificial intelligence, which has made the U.S. government feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.
After all, Huawei's success means that Chinese companies are gradually shaking up America's technological hegemony. In the eyes of the United States, this means not only a shift in economic interests, but also ideological and values implications.
Therefore, the U.S. government's suppression of Huawei is not only due to political or security considerations, but also stems from a deep-seated strategic game. It is trying to prevent the rise of Chinese companies in key technology fields through various means in order to maintain its dominant position.
Opportunities for Huawei in the face of adversity
Although the U.S. government has once again introduced new sanctions, for Huawei, this is not a destruction, but may become a source of new development opportunities.
First of all, such sanctions will undoubtedly further promote Huawei's independent innovation in key core technology areas. Over the past four years, Huawei has learned that only by mastering core technologies can we ensure the long-term development of the enterprise.
In this new round of sanctions, Huawei's PC and tablet business will be hit the hardest. But it also provides an excellent opportunity for Huawei to re-arrange.
As we all know, the PC industry is facing a new technological revolution. With the advent of the era of artificial intelligence, the core competitiveness of PC products will shift from simply improving computing power to paying more attention to intelligent experience and full-scene applications.
And it is precisely at this critical juncture that the Biden administration chooses to impose new sanctions on Huawei, which is undoubtedly a "kick" in Huawei's back. The backlash of this crackdown could also be a key driving force for Huawei to accelerate its AI PC transformation.
As Ren Zhengfei said, "There are no scars, where does the skin come from and the flesh is thick." After years of hardship, Huawei's innovation strength and ability to withstand pressure have been greatly improved. In the face of this new sanction, it is clearly well prepared.
From product development to industry chain integration, Huawei is ready to respond. In the event of a chip supply outage, Huawei will make every effort to promote independent R&D and localized substitution. In terms of operating system and application ecological construction, the HarmonyOS system will also be further improved and optimized.
In general, the US government's repression of Huawei is undoubtedly a huge "provocation" against it. However, as history has proven, Huawei can often find new momentum for development in difficult environments.
This sanction may be a key opportunity to stimulate Huawei's greater innovation. In this new technological competition, Huawei will once again write a legend that has attracted the attention of the world with its technological strength and innovation courage.
epilogue
For Huawei, this new sanction is undoubtedly a severe test. However, looking back over the past four years, it is not difficult to see that Huawei's strong resilience and innovation engine in the face of adversity are the fundamental driving force for its re-emergence.
Even in the predicament of chip supply being cut off, Huawei still successfully developed the Kirin 9000S chip with excellent performance. At the same time, the rapid iteration of the HarmonyOS system has also injected new vitality into Huawei's products. This resilience and innovation is truly admirable.
The US government's repression is undoubtedly a huge "provocation" against Huawei. But as Ren Zhengfei said, "There are no scars, where does the skin come from and the flesh is thick." Huawei, which has gone through countless hardships, will surely radiate more powerful vitality at this time.
We believe that in this new storm of sanctions, Huawei will once again break out of the difficulties and continue to write its own legend by leveraging its technological advantages and innovation capabilities. No matter what the U.S. government takes, it will be difficult to stop Huawei's rise in key technologies.
Let us all hope that in the near future, Huawei will become a real "national team", injecting new impetus into China's science and technology industry and demonstrating the infinite charm of China's creativity on the global stage.