Report: Huawei Shipping New Surveillance Camera Chips
A unit of Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies is reportedly shipping new Chinese-made chips for surveillance cameras, as the company finds ways around four years of US export controls that have blocked its access to American technology....
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Facts
- A unit of Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies is reportedly shipping new Chinese-made chips for surveillance cameras, as the company finds ways around four years of US export controls that have blocked its access to American technology.1
- Chinese advances in semiconductor production have caused a leading association of manufacturers to accuse Huawei of building a collection of secret chip-making facilities under different company names — enabling the company to indirectly purchase American chip-making equipment.2
- The report states that shipments to surveillance camera manufacturers from HiSilicon, a chip design unit of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., began earlier this year and that it appears Huawei worked around US sanctions in March by producing chips at and above 14 nanometers —two or three generations behind leading-edge technology.3
- Analysts say Huawei recently launched new smartphones with advanced, PRC-made chips, representing a breakthrough for the tech giant.4
- The company's return to the smartphone market was celebrated in late August when Huawei released the Mate 60 Pro, which uses such an advanced chip and is capable of 5G speeds.5
- TechInsights, a research firm that examined the Mate 60 Pro, determined it was powered by a new Kirin 9000S chip. The advanced component was most likely made in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.1
Sources: 1Reuters, 2Guardian, 3Yahoo finance, 4Xm and 5The economic times.
Narratives
- Pro-China narrative, as provided by Theprint. The launch of Huawei's new smartphone, powered by a cutting-edge new chip, is a game-changer that has spurred pride in China. It underscores the country’s capability to produce advanced semiconductor chips despite US-imposed restrictions.
- Anti-China narrative, as provided by Xm. Huawei and SMIC appear to have access to sophisticated tools they shouldn't have under current US government restrictions. The US must put additional pressure on these companies by placing additional export controls on them.
