On May 13, U.S. President Trump said on Twitter that he is working with President Xi to provide ways for ZTE to quickly resume its business. The ZTE crisis that lasted nearly one month finally saw a glimmer of light. Since April 16 The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that the ban on U.S. companies selling products to ZTE within 7 years has caused ZTE's business to suffer. In the context of the Sino-U.S. trade war, this caused a great uproar. Let's take the timeline as the basis. Check out the whole story of the ZTE crisis.
Zhongxing Danger Bureau
On April 16, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it would ban US companies from selling parts, goods, software and technology to ZTE for the next seven years. The reason for the ban was that ZTE violated the US sanctions clause that restricts the sale of U.S. technology to Iran.
On April 17th, ZTE's stocks listed on the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock exchanges were suspended; several of its major suppliers in the United States were also hit hard. Among them, Acacia Communications, a maker of fiber-optic network equipment, plummeted 36%, hitting nearly two years Low point: The Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China stated that ZTE Corporation contributes tens of thousands of jobs to the United States and hopes that the U.S. will properly handle the matter in accordance with regulations. It will pay close attention to the progress of the situation and stands ready to take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. .
On April 18, Hou Weigui, the 80-year-old founder of ZTE, was in danger and went to the United States for mediation.
On April 20, ZTE issued the "ZTE Statement on the US Department of Commerce's Refusal of Refusal," stating that refusal of orders would not only seriously endanger the survival of ZTE, but also hurt the interests of all ZTE's partners, including a large number of US companies. ZTE will not give up its efforts to solve problems through communication and dialogue, and it is determined to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests through all legal means.
Slowing down
On April 21st, a senior official of the U.S. Department of Commerce stated that: ZTE has already approved the request for more information and will receive evidence through an informal procedure. U.S. Treasury Secretary Mukuchin said that he is considering a visit to China to negotiate on economic and trade issues. We are cautiously optimistic about the future cooperation between the two countries.
On April 24, U.S. President Trump said on Twitter that Treasury Secretary Mukuchin will visit China in a few days. The US’s easing also gave hope to ZTE’s students. Only practical consultations can make things work now. .
MediaTek Coolong
On April 27, there were rumors that Taiwan’s relevant authorities requested MediaTek to stop selling chips to ZTE. MediaTek denied this, and stated in its official microblog that it is currently actively preparing relevant documents to apply for ZTE’s export license for goods. After the legal certificate is obtained, the shipment can continue smoothly. The disavowment of MediaTek is considered to have given ZTE a certain amount of assurance. After all, there is a good basis for cooperation in the previous period. Therefore, it is not surprising that MediaTek is in the dark.
Communication
May 4 Xinhua News Agency: The delegations of China and the United States held frank, efficient and constructive discussions. China and the United States reached consensus on some issues. The two sides agreed to continue to maintain close communication on relevant issues and establish a corresponding working mechanism. The Chinese side negotiated solemnly with the U.S. side on the ZTE Corporation case.
On May 8th, the President Xi Jinping was invited to exchange information on the topic of trade with U.S. President Trang's regular telephone.
On May 9, ZTE Corporation announced that the company’s main business activities could not be carried out because of the refusal order; a spokesperson for the US Department of Commerce’s BIS said: The Bureau is evaluating ZTE’s complaint and will immediately consider it.
On May 10th, the spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China stated: We hope that under the guidance of the two heads of state, China and the United States will continue to communicate in depth under the guidance of mutual respect and equal consultations, strengthen practical cooperation, and properly manage and control differences. We will jointly promote the healthy and steady development of Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations. The efforts of the state have indeed allowed the situation to develop in a good direction.
Twilight Comes
On May 13th, US President Trump said through Twitter: I am working with President Xi to provide ways for ZTE to quickly resume its business. The ZTE incident has caused many people to lose their jobs. I have ordered the Ministry of Commerce to proceed as soon as possible.
The May 13 US President Trump’s letter also marked the first glimpse of the Zhongxing Danger Bureau. ZTE was affected by the ban, which made its business almost impossible. Then, from this crisis, we can What do you learn?
Dangerous situation inspiration
In fact, the U.S. sanctions against ZTE can be said to be a fierce blow to the enemy during the Sino-U.S. trade war. It should not only wake up multinational companies like ZTE, but should also awaken every Chinese people. ZTE is China The second largest, the world’s fourth-largest telecommunications equipment supplier, is certainly not to be underestimated in terms of professionalism and strength. But why is it tied up by the US Department of Commerce’s paper ban? The root cause is still core technology. The scarcity of ZTE’s core patents and chip technologies, all of which were obtained through purchases from US companies, include Intel, Microsoft, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Broadcom, all of which are ZTE’s chip suppliers. Data show that ZTE has one The proportion of products purchased from the United States to the United States in the quarter reached more than one-third of its external purchases. The importance of US chip suppliers is self-evident.
On the other hand, the US Department of Commerce chose ZTE as the object of sanctions precisely because ZTE has a large enough body. As one of the world’s top four telecommunications equipment suppliers, ZTE has accounted for about 10% of the global market share. , it is possible to seize this 10% market share, and the latest technology such as 5G network led by ZTE, artificial intelligence, etc., will also be no longer advantageous with blocking. This is what the country does not want to see. So we also We can see the active efforts made by the motherland in this time of the revolving crisis. We expressed our attitude several times and actively negotiated with the US to mediate the matter. In the end, we did see things moving in the right direction.
However, we cannot relax our vigilance. We must know that making chips is not the same as making atomic bombs. In this increasingly global trend today, chips have emerged as an industry's top technology, and their development must be tested by the market. This is as strategic as it is. Deterrence weapons, can pour the power of the nation, different atomic bombs regardless of cost. As an unavoidable market-oriented product, the manufacture of chips must be a product of the balance between cost and performance. Of course, marketization has both disadvantages and benefits for us. For example, similar economic sanctions are the worst measure for killing the enemy and destroying 800 people. Equity and open world trade is the main theme of the future world. For us, what is lacking most now is time. Science and technology are The first productivity, innovation also needs a moment to stop. I wish ZTE could escape this robbery, and hope that more people can get enlightenment from it.