China’s Huawei unveils chip for global big data market
BEIJING (AP) — Huawei Technologies Ltd. unveiled a processor chip Monday for data centers and cloud computing in a bid by the biggest global maker of telecom equipment to expand into new markets despite Western warnings the company might be a security risk.
The announcement came as Chinese industries that rely on Western technology step up efforts to develop their own. That is fueling competition for U.S. and European suppliers and frustration among governments that complain Beijing’s industry plans violate its trade obligations.
Huawei said the Kunpeng 920 chip is designed for servers that handle a flood of data from smartphones, video and other network services. The company said it is part of a planned product lineup to support “intelligent computing.”
Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former military engineer, is China’s first global tech competitor and a national champion at the head of an industry the ruling Communist Party is eager to promote. The company says it is employee-owned and rejects accusations by Washington and some other governments that it is controlled by the ruling party and might facilitate spying.
Chinese and U.S. envoys were due to meet Monday for talks over a tariff war triggered by American complaints about Beijing’s technology policies.
The Trump administration, Europe and other trading partners complain initiatives such as “Made in China 2025,” which calls for state-led creation of Chinese global champions in robotics and other fields, violates Beijing’s market-opening obligations. American officials worry they might erode U.S. industrial leadership.
Huawei has pushed ahead with commercial initiatives despite the Dec. 1 arrest of its chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, in Canada on U.S. charges related to possible violations of trade sanctions on Iran.
The company says its 2018 global sales are forecast to top $100 billion despite curbs imposed on use of its technology by the United States, Australia, Japan and some other governments.
