Consumers experience the new Huawei Mate 60 Pro smartphone on September 3, 2023, in Shanghai. Photo: VCG

China has always opposed the US' discriminatory and unfair practices of generalizing the concept of national security and suppressing Chinese firms, Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, calling for the US to stop its wrongdoings.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, made the remarks when asked at a press conference if Huawei's latest flagship smartphone equipped with advanced chips was "purposefully" rolled out during US commerce chief Gino Raimondo's China visit at the end of August.

"It is the firm's own decision when to launch its new phone models," Mao said.

It is the US' relentless crackdown on Chinese high-tech sector that is "undermining the principles of free trade and international economic and trade rules, and disrupting the stability of global production and supply chain," Mao said, which is not in the interests of any party.

"What we also want to tell the US is that containment and suppression will not stop China's development, but will only enhance China's determination and ability to be self-reliant and technologically innovative," Mao said.

The US has no evidence that Huawei can produce smartphones with seven-nanometer chips at scale, Raimondo said at a US House hearing on Tuesday, according to a Reuters report. Raimondo told the House Science Committee hearing that she was "upset" by the advanced Huawei smartphone report.

The commerce chief's comments came amid a number of US politicians considering further restrictions on Huawei.

The chair of the US House of Representatives' committee on China is planning to meet with a semiconductor industry group to express concerns over US investments in China's chip industry, a Reuters report said.

Huawei scheduled an unexpected debut of its latest flagship Mate60 pro series, which some speculated was using a 5G capable chip, during Raimondo's China visit at the end of August. Some Chinese netizens lauded the coincidence of the moment, saying the phone is the "best souvenir" for Raimondo, which is also a stark reminder that the US' ruthless crackdown on Chinese high-tech companies in the name of national security will yield no tangible results.

Washington has restricted Huawei from buying advanced 5G chips and software from US companies since 2019, which dealt a heavy blow to its high-end smartphone businesses.

Huawei has planned on September 25 a new product launch event but remains tight-lipped on Mate 60 Pro smartphone chip.

Global Times