Duval Times

American companies are prohibited from doing business without a license with Huawei, a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party and a history of spying on U.S. military installations. However, Huawei recently announced a computer powered by Intel’s new Core Ultra 9 processor, suggesting the Biden Administration is allowing Intel and potentially other U.S. companies to trade with Huawei, in effect giving this sanctioned Chinese company a lease on life. The Biden Administration previously granted export licenses to Intel and Qualcomm in similar cases.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) expressed their concerns in a letter addressed to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo regarding Huawei’s access to advanced Intel processors. Rubio stated, “It is clear from these trends that Huawei, a blacklisted company that was on the ropes just a few years ago, is making a comeback. It is doing so because the Biden Administration, led by your department, is failing to protect American ingenuity.”

In their letter to Secretary Raimondo, Rubio and Stefanik highlighted the national security implications of allowing Huawei access to advanced American technology. They urged the Department of Commerce to reconsider its position and revoke all export licenses to Huawei. The lawmakers emphasized that Huawei's close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and its history of espionage make it a significant threat to U.S. security interests.

The letter pointed out that despite being placed on the Entity List by the Department of Commerce in 2019, Huawei has continued to benefit from American technology due to lax enforcement of export controls. Rubio and Stefanik raised concerns about the flow of cutting-edge Intel processors to Huawei, enabling the company to advance its technological capabilities, including in artificial intelligence.

Rubio and Stefanik criticized the Department of Commerce for its failure to enforce export controls effectively, allowing Huawei to strengthen its position in the global economy and enhance the military capabilities of the Chinese Communist Party. The lawmakers underscored the importance of depriving Huawei of valuable U.S. technology to impede the CCP's technological advancements.

The letter concluded with a call to Secretary Raimondo to take immediate action by revoking export licenses that facilitate the transfer of American technology to adversaries like Huawei. Rubio and Stefanik emphasized the need to protect American innovation and national security interests by preventing sanctioned companies like Huawei from accessing critical U.S. technology.