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Trump Relaxes US Ban On Selling To Huawei In Surprise G20 Concession (zdnet.com) 156

hackingbear tipped us off to a breaking news story.

CNN reports: US President Donald Trump has appeared to soften his tone on Chinese communications giant Huawei, suggesting that he would allow the company to once again purchase U.S. technology. Speaking at a press conference in Osaka, Saturday, Trump said that the U.S. sells a "tremendous amount of product" to Huawei. "That's okay, we will keep selling that product," said Trump. "The (U.S.) companies were not exactly happy that they couldn't sell."
Forbes points out "While it's not a lifting of the blanket ban, it will significantly benefit the Chinese manufacturer."

ZDNet reports: This news just broke with comments made by Trump, including "U.S. companies can sell their equipment to Huawei. We're talking about equipment where there's no great national security problem with it." The details of this statement are still pending, but it is likely that 5G infrastructure equipment may still not be part of this access deal while the smartphone segment may be where we see open access.
One Daily Beast contributor argues the action "appears to be a surrender to publicly issued Chinese demands."

But TechCrunch writes that "any mutual trust has been broken and things are unlikely to be the same again."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Trump Relaxes US Ban On Selling To Huawei In Surprise G20 Concession

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  • by Anonymous Coward

    So Huawei has finally agreed to "donate" funds to der fuehrer's reelection campaign. I see how this works now...

  • Stay tuned (Score:4, Insightful)

    by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Saturday June 29, 2019 @01:07PM (#58846290)

    So now Huawei has gone from the devil incarnate to someone you can sell to "where there's no great national security problem with it". Okay, if that's as far as it gets walked back it's not too problematic... although I must admit I'm more curious whether his policy advisors knew about this policy shift before he said it.

    But I'm really worried he's going to backtrack on all the rest of the security claims, which would be ludicrous. I'm really hoping he doesn't because our international credibility is already low.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      It’s not personal it’s just business. Them giving us money is good. Us giving them money and allowing the Chinese government to attack us through the back doors in their equipment is bad.

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      It was always just a move to apply pressure to China to get them to re-open the trade negotiations and give some ground. It was never serious, despite what the shills paid to post that crap to Slashdot claim.

    • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      But I'm really worried he's going to backtrack on all the rest of the security claims, which would be ludicrous. I'm really hoping he doesn't because our international credibility is already low.

      Trump is a professional con man. He, at times, makes PT Barnum look like a saint. The only real major difference between Turmp and past Presidents is that a lot more people are aware of it. Compare this to GWB's entry into the Iraq War. That was a ludicrous con job. Anyone watching could tell it was a complete

  • The USA has made itself a paper tiger by launching wars [washingtonpost.com] using falsified [scmp.com], exaggerated [washingtonpost.com] and hypocritical [theguardian.com] claims, but what's worse is that its people keep falling into the pray of their three letter agency. This is just a replay of the same craps again and the country is doomed to make itself a fool.

    • The USA has made itself a paper tiger ...

      Ironically, Paper Tiger [wikipedia.org] is a literal English translation of the Chinese phrase "zhilaohu".

      The term refers to something or someone that claims or appears to be powerful and/or threatening, but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand challenge. The expression became well known internationally as a slogan used by Mao Zedong, leader of the People's Republic of China, against his political opponents, particularly the U.S. government.

    • by hey! ( 33014 )

      The US is only 5% of the world's population. Through a combination of luck, industrial might and soft power, that small fraction of the world ended up enjoying undisputed global leadership. In time it came to treat that leadership as a birthright, neglecting the industrial and soft power components of its power. End of that chapter of world history.

      • by jareth-0205 ( 525594 ) on Saturday June 29, 2019 @06:29PM (#58847628) Homepage

        The US is only 5% of the world's population. Through a combination of luck, industrial might and soft power, that small fraction of the world ended up enjoying undisputed global leadership. In time it came to treat that leadership as a birthright, neglecting the industrial and soft power components of its power. End of that chapter of world history.

        As a Brit who is in a country still struggling to deal with this exact process (we're just about 100 years ahead of the US, well into the decline) I'm afraid I have to tell you it will not be pretty... The exact qualities that got you power (aside from good fortune) of care and attention and dedication, are the ones that get forgotten, replaced by a belief in your own bullshit. That you deserve to be there, that you're somehow better than everyone else. And while you're there patting yourself on the back, all the other countries eat your lunch.

        • I don't know about that, it seems your immediate problem is simply the question of if you want to stab your own economy in the face, in order to stiffen the upper lips of the next generation.

          Nobody is eating your lunch, you're simply demanding that lunch be curtailed in order to procure the moral benefits of austerity.

          • I don't know about that, it seems your immediate problem is simply the question of if you want to stab your own economy in the face, in order to stiffen the upper lips of the next generation.

            *exactly*, this whole endeavour has traction because we think we're above Europe, better than them intrinsically and therefore just need to present ourselves to the rest of the world and they will be falling over themselves to give us favourable terms. And in reality the world is going "meh" and getting on with their more important things.

            • Here in the US I'm very excited to see the price of English cheese come down, as the exchange rate changes. Right now Cotswold cheddar costs as much as Dutch Havarti.

  • TechCrunch is in fantasyland with their "mutual trust" storytelling. They don't know the thoughts and feelings of everyone involved or how they might have changed.

    Huawei is a fucking business, not the US's girlfriend. They buy stuff when it makes business sense. Businesses typically don't hold grudges. That sort of nonsense makes your business uncompetitive and customer-unfriendly.

  • Claims that Huawei poses a security risk predate the current administration. The fact that they're being set aside for trade reasons means one of two things: 1) The claims were not true. 2) National security is for sale. My gut tells me it's the latter.
    • by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 ) on Saturday June 29, 2019 @01:48PM (#58846456)

      Claims that Huawei poses a security risk predate the current administration. The fact that they're being set aside for trade reasons means one of two things: 1) The claims were not true. 2) National security is for sale. My gut tells me it's the latter.

      This is Trump. Buying and selling is all he knows; *everything* is transactional with him.
      (Not commenting on if this is good or bad, just noting it.)

      • by fafalone ( 633739 ) on Saturday June 29, 2019 @01:57PM (#58846524)
        And the 'transactional' part isn't even real. I bet China said something like "We have deep respect for the genius Donald Trump, greatest American President, and we accept your trade war victory." Then give some irrelevent token concession or even just promise to make one in the future, and Trump relents.
        In any transaction with Trump, the first and last thing that matters is stroking his ego and giving him anything, absolutely anything no matter how small, that he can use to declare victory, because his supporters will 100% accept it and add it to their list of why he's the second coming of Jesus and makes George Washington and Abraham Lincoln look like shitty presidents next to him. He could buy a $5 bill for $100, call it the best deal ever and himself a master negotiator, and his supports will cheer.
        • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          Token concession is certainly what Mexico did. I wondered for a moment if maybe they threatened to cut off the rare earths or something, but I think China is smarter than that. They would use the same trick as Mexico.

        • Did you just invent a bunch of positions out of thin air, and then pile on criticisms for what you made up? And got modded up? Seriously?
          • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

            by fafalone ( 633739 )
            It's based on the well documented history of Trump and his supporters. Since you're one of them, who goes around using "Trump derangement syndrome", I'm also going to go ahead and predict you won't be able to break through the cognitive dissonance field to acknowledge the scenario I described is completely plausible.
      • by Anonymous Coward

        This is Trump. Buying and selling is all he knows; *everything* is transactional with him.

        While this is partly true, it lacks depth. Buying and selling can be an honourable trade where both parties benefit. Trump's goal is for Trump to benefit and the other guy to get screwed. Note that this has not in fact changed. Trump's goal is still for Trump to benefit, somehow, from this presidential gig and everything not Trump including America is the other guy.

        If I didn't basically hate republicans for creating this monster I'd almost feel sorry for them. They are a bit like a woman in a deeply ab

      • Wrong and wrong. There is risk in importing Huawei routers (phones are probably fine), but we're talking about selling Huawei US tech.
    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by shanen ( 462549 )

      Congratulations on attracting so many troll moderations. If I ever got a mod point to give, your comment would probably deserve an insightful, though you didn't go far enough with your second case. I do suspect that there is some secret aspect of this non-deal mulligan. I think the most likely hidden cases are:

      (1) Carrot of money into Trump's pocket (Possibly via Ivanka?)

      (2) Stick of taking money away from Trump (His tax returns would reveal exactly where China has the leverage on him.)

      (3) Big stick of hack

    • by shanen ( 462549 )

      Claims that Huawei poses a security risk predate the current administration. The fact that they're being set aside for trade reasons means one of two things:
      1) The claims were not true.
      2) National security is for sale.
      My gut tells me it's the latter.

      I realized that I should have included a copy of your OP (in my longer reply) since your comment was troll-modded into invisibility (and I only found it by its replies).

      Perhaps that is the best response to the trollish abuse of moderation? Making the suppressed comments more visible?

  • The fix is in (Score:4, Interesting)

    by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Saturday June 29, 2019 @01:30PM (#58846388)

    Huawei agreed to install the NSA backdoors. Nothing to see here.

    • by shanen ( 462549 )

      Huawei agreed to install the NSA backdoors. Nothing to see here.

      Good comment and congratulations on attracting a troll moderation (for which I quote you for greater visibility).

      I should have included this consideration in my longer reply in the "National security for sale" thread. It fits under the secret carrot category, but there is the problem that Trump hates the NSA for not lying enough, which means the carrot is of little interest to him. No cash in his pocket.

    • Don't be so tin foil hat. The answer is far simpler. Expect to see a Trump hotel in a building owned by Huawei shortly.

      • The Snowden leaks confirmed the feds will intercept hardware and install backdoors after its shipped. Why do you think neither AMD or Intel will let you peek under the hood of their respective management engines?

  • Translation (Score:2, Interesting)

    by magusxxx ( 751600 )

    'Associates' (which may include family members) have bought Huawei stock dirt cheap. Now they're ready for the price to go up and sell it off.

    • by shanen ( 462549 )

      'Associates' (which may include family members) have bought Huawei stock dirt cheap. Now they're ready for the price to go up and sell it off.

      Another good point that deserves repetition for the trolls' moderation. However, this is only part of a larger and more general problem. I actually think Putin is the main player of this game. Knowing exactly when Trump is going to do something stupid is pure gold. If he's going to drive the price of some company up, then you buy it while it's low, and if Trump is about to do or say something to drive the price down, then you buy the shorts. Can only print beautiful money, as long as you have a sufficiently

      • Thank you for your reply. Yesterday when I checked my post was listed as 'Troll'. Glad to see others agree with me. This is the same thing that happened with Boeing.

        And as for h33tl4x0r's comment...Yes, I didn't mean just the company itself but also their suppliers. Again, this is what happened with those connected with Boeing.

    • Huawei isn't publicly traded. Maybe some of the companies that sell to them can be pumped and dumped.
  • ... in a computer science exercise called the "drunk walk."

  • ... it's a signal to just wait it out for him to say the opposite.

    In his campaign speeches, he admitted that he knew little but would rely on yuge, great minds.

    He reverse swamped-drained all those.

    The doofus simply isn't qualified.

  • That I'll be dead when the document showing the exact form of corruption that caused all this brouhaha get declassified.
  • Case of great minds thinking alike? Just joking, but the main point of this story is how gawdawful and incompetent #PresidentTweety is. China's Xi played Trump like a cheap ukulele. Apparently Trump got nothing, though I suspect there's some ugly secret underneath Trump's latest cave in.

    One of the other (but clearly off-topic) Trump news stories of the morning was his attack on Jimmy Carter for saying the truth (again). Trump's so-called victory was quite narrow. Not just Putin, but ANYONE who can reasonabl

    • One of the other (but clearly off-topic) Trump news stories of the morning was his attack on Jimmy Carter for saying the truth (again). Trump's so-called victory was quite narrow.

      Trump's victory was HUGE. He carried Florida AND Ohio in the electoral cycle where most media was openly against him and openly for the Princess Hilton who, we were told for the previous 16 years, is bound to ascend into the White House after the American voters will line up their bodies to form a carpet for her. Not only he took t

  • ... so he agrees with whoever is in the room with him at the time. When he gets back to Bolton and Pompeo, he'll go all hardline again.

  • Trump is like a sick person who is delirious. At any moment he may totally reverse him self on everything he has even said. It is dangerous. What nation will ever sign an agreement with the US when they know that the next spastic utterances may leap out of Trump at any time. On top of that we have no ambassadors in our embassies to get a feel of what the other government really wants or why they want it. The ambassadors quite as they would not tolerate Trump.
  • Did Trump get another loan from China?

    You know, like the one right before Trump removed sanctions on ZTE [businessinsider.com].

    Or maybe Ivanka got approved for more Trump trademarks [nytimes.com]

    • by shanen ( 462549 )

      Upon reflection, I think all Trump got for backing off Huawei was the surprise meeting with Kim Jong-Un. First "president" in North Korea! I'm sure Xi could have set it up, and he realized that Trump would love the carrot, even though it's a low-cal carrot. Trump loves attention SO much. Great ratings!

      Actual results? Zero. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

  • The last thing the US economy want is forcing Chinese companies to develop a tech stack free of American tech. How devastating to US trade would it be if other Asian countries could licence tech stacks that don't include any American hardware or software at all?
  • by dohzer ( 867770 )

    He never even put bans in place. That's fake news.

  • Woohoo! Huawei are on board with US surveillance of their customers. Surely a win for global cooperation.

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