The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has severed ties with Huawei
6431 Min Read
The elite U.S. school Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced that it has cut it’s ties with Chinese tech firms Huawei and ZTE.
Maria Zuber, its vice president for research, announced that MIT is not accepting new engagements or renewing existing ones with Huawei and ZTE or their respective subsidiaries due to federal investigations regarding violations of sanction restrictions.
Collaborations with China, Russia and Saudi Arabia would face additional administrative review procedures, Zuber added.
Earlier this year, Britain’s Oxford University stopped accepting funding from Huawei.
In it’s reaction to MIT’s decision, Huawei said that it’s disappointed by the decision, but it understands the pressure they’re under at the moment, adding that it denies the allegations of the U.S. government. Huawei added that it trust the U.S. judicial system will ultimately reach the right conclusion
U.S. sanctions forced ZTE to stop most business between April and July last year after Commerce Department officials had said it broke a pact and was caught illegally shipping U.S.-origin goods to Iran and North Korea. The sanctions were lifted after ZTE paid $1.4 billion in penalties.
Chinese telecoms equipment makers have also been facing mounting scrutiny, led by the United States, amid worries Beijing could use their equipment for spying. The companies, however, have said the concerns are unfounded.
