US Huawei crackdown will enhance China's self-reliance in tech, says Beijing

ANKARA

China expressed its opposition on Friday to the reported US investigation into Huawei chips and stated that such a crackdown would bolster China's self-reliance in technology.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, emphasized that China's approach differs from the policies of certain countries that aim to crack down on and contain Chinese businesses.

She firmly opposed the investigation into advanced Chinese chips and asserted that such actions would not impede China's development.

"What I want to stress is that sanctions, containment, and crackdowns will not stop China's development, but will only strengthen China's determination and ability to be self-reliant and technologically innovative," the state-run Global Times quoted Mao as saying during her press briefing.

In response to Western media reports about the Chinese government restricting the use of Apple's iPhones for government officials, she stated that her country welcomes products and services from other countries as long as they comply with Chinese laws and regulations.

"This is fundamentally different from the abuse and disguise of the so-called 'security' concept by certain countries to suppress and contain Chinese companies," she added.

On Wednesday, US media reported that China has ordered its government officials to abandon the use of foreign-branded devices, including the iPhone, for work over alleged cybersecurity concerns.

Beijing's move comes as US officials, at the federal and state level, have also restricted the use of Chinese devices including those from Huawei as well as social media giant TikTok.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid