Huawei Taiwan should reveal information about how it plans to protect its smartphone users in Taiwan after Alphabet Inc’s Google stopped providing Huawei Technologies Co (華為) with vital software updates, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.
Google on Monday said that it has blocked the Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer from updates to some of its smartphone applications, such as YouTube and Google Maps, after US President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday last week added Huawei to a trade blacklist, banning US firms from selling components and software to it due to national security concerns.
The US Department of Commerce gave US companies conducting business with Huawei a 90-day reprieve before the ban takes effect.
Photo: Reuters
The commission on Tuesday met with representatives from Xunwei Technologies Co (訊崴技術) — Huawei’s exclusive distributor in Taiwan — to discuss potential issues that might arise from the US ban, NCC Department of Frequency and Resources Director Chen Chung-shu (陳崇樹) said.
“We focused on what Huawei has planned to do to protect the interests of its smartphone users. As the partnership between Google and Huawei is an issue that is ongoing, we hope that Xunwei will confirm details about the partnership with its headquarters and make that information public on its official Web site, as well as on its Facebook page,” Chen said, adding that Xunwei has pledged to update consumer-related information on its online sites.
Chen said that Xunwei should tell consumers whether they would be able to receive updates for the Google Play Store, the Android operating system and apps for Android devices, even though Huawei had said that the ban would not affect devices that are in use.
Xunwei must also inform its customers about returning their devices, Chen said.
As the nation’s telecom carriers have bundled Huawei smartphones with some of their service plans, Xunwei should also determine solutions to problems that might arise from this, Chen added.
Consumers must have adequate information available to them to make a choice, Chen said, adding that the principle applies equally to the company’s handling of new smartphones and devices that have already been sold.
The commission does not exclude the possibility of inviting representatives from Google Taiwan to provide additional clarification, Chen added.
The US government is reportedly also planning to blacklist Hangzhou-based Hikvision Digital Technology (海康威視), the world’s largest supplier of video surveillance products.
Asked if the government has a similar plan, NCC acting spokesperson Hsiao Chi-hung (蕭祈宏) said that the Executive Yuan is compiling a list of communication devices that would be banned in Taiwan, adding that it expects to make a final announcement after it has collected recommendations from government agencies.
The nation has already banned telecom carriers from using core network equipment manufactured by Huawei.
Xunwei issued an official statement on Facebook, saying that Huawei has made important contributions to the development of the Android operating system, which is open source software, and its ecosystem of applications.
“We will continue developing the Android system in a way that benefits users and the industry,” Xunwei said.
“Safety upgrades and post-sale services for our smartphones and tablet computers will continue to be available for our users around the globe,” the company added.
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January last year have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
STREAMLINED: The dedicated funding would allow the US to transfer equipment to Taiwan when needed and order upgraded replacements for stockpiles, a source said The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a defense appropriations bill totaling US$838.7 billion, of which US$1 billion is to be allocated to reinforcing security cooperation with Taiwan and US$150 million to replace defense articles provided to the nation. These are part of the Consolidated Appropriation Act, which the US House yesterday passed with 341 votes in favor and 88 against. The act must be passed by the US Senate before Friday next week to avoid another government shutdown. The US House Committee on Appropriations on Monday unveiled the act, saying that it allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative
RSS