American universities blacklist Huawei and other Chinese telecoms under Trump law pressure
- Last year’s National Defence Authorisation Act is having a chilling effect on relations between the hi-tech giant and top universities in the US
US universities are distancing themselves from Huawei Technologies and other Chinese companies that for years have supplied them with technical equipment and sponsored academic research, but are now in the crosshairs of the Trump administration.
The University of California at Berkeley has removed a Huawei videoconferencing system, while the UC campus in Irvine is working to replace five pieces of Chinese-made audio-video equipment. Other schools, such as the University of Wisconsin, are reviewing their suppliers.
The moves are in response to the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), which US President Donald Trump signed into law in August.
A provision of the legislation bans recipients of federal funding from using telecommunications equipment, video recording services and networking components made by Huawei or ZTE.
Also on the blacklist are Chinese audio-video equipment providers Hikvision, Hytera, Dahua Technology and their affiliates.
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US authorities fear the equipment makers will leave a back door open to Chinese military and government agents seeking information.