When Huawei defied expectations by launching its Mate 60 Pro smartphone with cutting-edge 7nm chip technology despite stringent US sanctions, it sent shockwaves through the tech world. The response from Washington was immediate: expanded export controls and heightened restrictions.
Now, as reports surface about Huawei's Ascend AI chips rivaling Nvidia's performance - though the Chinese tech giant maintains its usual silence on such developments - America has dramatically escalated the semiconductor conflict to unprecedented global dimensions.
The Trump administration's recent declaration that using Huawei's Ascend processors "anywhere in the world" violates US export controls reveals more than policy enforcement - it exposes growing anxiety that American technological leadership can no longer be maintained through restrictions alone.
The new global tech battlefield
On May 14, 2025, a significant policy shift occurred when President Donald Trump's administration revoked the previous administration's AI Diffusion Rule without immediately proposing alternative measures. Instead, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued guidance aimed at "strengthening export controls for overseas AI chips," with particular focus on Huawei's Ascend series.
A controversial expansion of jurisdiction
The South China Morning Post reports these guidelines specifically target Huawei after abandoning Biden-era country-specific regulations. This represents a radical departure from traditional trade policies that typically regulate exports rather than attempting to control technology use globally.
