In a recent interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo criticized Huawei Technologies Co.'s latest phone, saying it shows China is falling behind in the high-tech race . Raimondo pointed out that despite Huawei's claims about its technological progress, there is a significant gap with innovations in the United States, which reflects the success of the Biden administration in imposing strict controls on exports to China.
While Rimondo was visiting China in August, Shenzhen-based Huawei launched a smartphone equipped with an advanced 7-nanometer chip. This technology is considered by Raimondo to be far behind those developed in the USA, which have the most sophisticated semiconductors in the world. "They're years behind what we have in the United States," Raimondo said in the interview that aired Sunday.
Huawei Ironized by the US due to Technologies Considered Obsolete
Furthermore, Raimondo vowed to take the "strongest" possible measure to protect US national security, revealing that Huawei's partner, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., has potentially violated US law. The Biden administration is considering blacklisting Chinese companies suspected of making chips for Huawei.
The global battle for supremacy in semiconductor technology intensified after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, during which the US and its allies tightened restrictions on semiconductor exports to Moscow. "It is absolutely true that our export controls have affected their ability to wage war," Raimondo added.
The department led by Raimondo has become a key element in the Biden administration's strategy toward China, seeking to restrict its access to advanced technology. After convincing the Netherlands and Japan to adopt some restrictions last year, Raimondo is now pushing for even stricter measures, including in South Korea and Germany, to further limit China's access to foreign technology. This is an essential measure to maintain the technological superiority of the US against a giant like Huawei.
