Trump Tightens Restrictions on Huawei, China Threatens Retaliation

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Even during a major public health crisis compounded by economic collapse — a domestic perfect storm — the Trump regime continues waging war on China by other means, including its blame game, wanting Beijing held responsible for its own failures.

There's no end of what's going on in prospect. The harsher unacceptable US policies become, the greater the negative blowback.

Last May, the Trump regime blacklisted Chinese tech giant Huawei and its 70 affiliates from the US market on the phony pretext of preventing the company from "potentially undermin(ing) US national security."

At stake is the race to roll out 5G technology in Western and world markets, Huawei way ahead of competitors.

Trillions of dollars of economic value are up for grabs. The Trump regime wants imports of Chinese tech products restricted or blocked.

Trump also banned US companies from using information and communications technology from any source his regime calls a threat to US national security.

US tech companies Intel, Google, Qualcomm and others suspended sales to Huawei.

Last year, Beijing warned US tech companies they'll face "dire consequences" if comply with the Trump regime's ban to cut Huawei out of the global supply chain.

On Friday, Trump's Commerce Department imposed further restrictions on the company, banning sales of US software and technology used to develop and produce semiconductors.

The new move aims to prevent Huawei from obtaining US technology from domestic and offshore sources that incorporate technology from US firms, wanting Huawei cut off from US high tech products to produce its own and compete with corporate America effectively.

Separately, Trump's Commerce Department said it'll extend a temporary license that lets US tech companies sell certain non-critical products to Huawei for another 90 days through late August — for the last time.

At the same time, the Trump regime has been pressuring other countries to cut off normal business relations with Huawei with limited results at best.

Germany, Britain and other nations value access to Huawei's technology.

In response to the Trump regime's tightened restrictions, China's Foreign Ministry denounced what it called the destruction of "global manufacturing, supply and value chains," adding: 

Beijing "firmly uphold(s) Chinese firms' legitimate and legal rights and interests."

"We urge the US side to immediately stop its unreasonable suppression of Huawei and Chinese enterprises."

The only language the US understands is toughness. Urging and diplomatic efforts accomplish nothing.

According to China's Global Times, citing an unnamed government source, Beijing will target Apple, Qualcomm, Cisco and Boeing in retaliation against the latest hostile Trump regime action.

These and other US companies may be added to China's "unreliable entity list," their activities to be investigated, purchases of their products perhaps suspended, no action taken so far.

US war on China by other means risks rupturing relations if things go too far.

A far greater risk is direct confrontation between two nations able to smash each other destructively.

China seeks cooperative relations with other countries, confrontation with none.

If the US pushes things too far, Beijing will do whatever it takes to defend its sovereign rights and security.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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