AFP |
Chinese telecom giant Huawei says it could roll out its own operating system for smartphones and laptops in China by the autumn after the United States blacklisted the company, a report said Thursday.
The international version of the system could be ready in the first or second quarter of 2020, said Richard Yu, the head of the company’s consumer business, told US channel CNBC.
The company was dealt a blow this week with Google’s decision to partially cut off Huawei devices from its Android OS following a US order banning the sale or transfer of American technology to the firm.
Read more: China vs US: Huawei cannot use Google anymore
“Today, we are still committed to Microsoft Windows and Google Android,” Richard Yu, head of Huawei’s consumer business, told CNBC. “But if we cannot use that, Huawei will prepare the plan B to use our own OS.”
Huawei’s own ‘Operating System’
The Global Times, a Chinese state-run daily, reported on Monday that the platform – named “Hong-Meng” – was undergoing trials and will gradually replace the Android system.
Read more: Hongmeng Huawei’s first-ever self-developed operating system
“We don’t want to do this but we will be forced to do that because of the US government. I think this will not only be bad news for US, but also for the US companies because we support US businesses, Yu told CNBC. “We don’t want to do this but we have no other solution, no other choice.”
Read more: Trump steps up his game in pressurizing China; bans Huawei
The US Commerce Department, which added Huawei and 68 of its affiliates to an “entity list” last week, on Monday announced a 90-day reprieve, allowing some services to continue.
US lifts Huawei ban, but only temporarily and in a limited scope.
Read more: https://t.co/V9Pnz0OLjJ#technology #Huawei pic.twitter.com/P6behSzNNh— Android Authority (@AndroidAuth) May 21, 2019
Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei had earlier waved off US attempts to block the company’s global ambitions, saying the United States underestimates the telecom giant’s strength.
Ren spoke to Chinese media days after President Donald Trump issued orders aimed at thwarting Huawei’s business in the United States, the latest salvo in a months-long effort to stop the company’s charge to the top of the leaderboard in next-generation 5G technology.
China backs Huawei
China threw its weight behind Huawei’s legal battle against the United States on Friday, vowing to take all necessary measures to defend the “legitimate rights” of Chinese companies and individuals.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi voiced Beijing’s support as Huawei mounts a legal and public relations campaign to counter US warnings that the company’s networks and equipment could serve as Trojan horses for Chinese intelligence services.
Chinese people have shown their support for their native telecom company by boycotting all the American electronics and videos have emerged of Chinese people destroying their Apple products.
This is called patriotism of a country whn #US ban the sales of #Huawei in America and puts hefty tax on its exports,Chinese people started throwing #iPhone into garbage and china to retaliated by putting tax on American goods!https://t.co/AGbaWW6jah
— Qasim Hussain (@qasimraj17) May 21, 2019
AFP story with additional input by GVS news desk