Huawei Given Another 90 Days’ Grace Before It’s Banned Again


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I know what you’re thinking: Wait, what!? I thought the ban is now over, and Huawei and Google are now kissing each other like nothing’s ever happened?

Well, that’s what you thought. And what many of us thought as well.

Because over the last few months, it’s been NATO: no action talk only.

Here’s what went down.

But before anything, here’s a video we’ve done about Huawei that no one except Huawei themselves watched:

Now, moving on.

Huawei Given Another 90 Days’ Grace After First Grace Expired

First off: Who’s Grace? 

It’s not your secondary school classmate who has now become an auntie: instead, we’re talking about a grace period before the full extent of the US ban against Huawei take effect.

Of course, what we’re really concerned about is Google’s relationship with Huawei: once the grace period is over, Huawei can no longer work with Google, and that’s a problem bigger than their $54 phone fiasco.

No Formal Agreement

In the last few weeks, we’ve been reading reports about how Huawei has been spared the ban. However, if you read those articles instead of just the headlines (I’m so looking at you), you’d realise that in all cases, it’s all just talks with no formal agreement penned down.

In fact, last Sunday, President Trump made yet another talk that’ll send Huawei fanboys and fangirls to tears: all of a sudden, he said that he wasn’t going to do business with Huawei, adding that “it is a national security threat and I really believe that the media has covered it a little bit differently than that.”

With the deadline of the first temporary licence having ended yesterday, it has been confirmed that the US is going to provide another 90 days of temporary licence.

A day before that, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said the Commerce Department had made that decision as a gesture of “good faith” amid broader trade negotiations with China.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross gave more context, saying that “some of the rural companies are dependent on Huawei, so we’re giving them a little more time to wean themselves off.”

Lest you’re not aware, Huawei isn’t just fighting a fire caused by the ban from Google: chipmakers have also mentioned that they would be following the ban, which might lead to Huawei facing manufacturing problems.

And Huawei has responded—fiercely.


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Still Being Treated “Unjustly”

When the announcement of the ban was made, the firm claimed that it wasn’t a fair decision. With the extended temporary license, the China giant isn’t changing their stand.

They said in a statement, “It’s clear that this decision, made at this particular time, is politically motivated and has nothing to do with national security…They are in no one’s interests, including US companies. Attempts to suppress Huawei’s business won’t help the United States achieve technological leadership.

“The extension of the Temporary General License does not change the fact that Huawei has been treated unjustly.”

Notice the strong words “politically motivated”?

In other words, they suggested that the entire issue has nothing to do with their devices but everything to do with politics.


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Hmm…time to watch House of Cards again?