IEEE Sanctions on Huawei Scientists Revoked Amid Protests

The New York City-based major scientific society, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) has put a sanction on the employees of Huawei from reviewing submissions to its journals. The step has been taken complying with the US government sanction on Huawei, a Chinese communication giant.

However, global protests including China’s declarations of suspending ties with IEEE and firing US employees working at Huawei’s Chinese headquarters along with resignation of professors of premiere universities from IEEE, have led to the revocation of the sanctions. The IEEE on June 3 declared that it has revoked the sanctions on Huawei after consultation with the US Department of Commerce.

The IEEE is a premiere publication of technology journals in many areas. Claiming itself to be an international publication, it publishes almost 200 journals. On May 28, the IEEE told the editors of these journals that, “It fears severe legal implications from continuing to use Huawei scientists as reviewers in vetting technical papers. The Huawei scientists can continue to be part of the IEEE editorial board, but until the sanctions are lifted, they cannot handle any papers.”

The US department of commerce on May 15 had come out with a notice that made it mandatory for certain companies to get a license before US technology could be sold or transferred. Huawei has been listed among such companies. The commerce department can refuse any license provided by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) if it finds that any sales or transfers render threat to US internal security. Huawei is a global supplier of cell phones and wireless data network and the US officials fear that through selling of Huawei goods, the Chinese government could spy on users or disrupt critical infrastructure.

But the IEEE sanctions on the Huawei scientists do not bar them from engaging in other activities like participating in IEEE-sponsored seminars and making presentations, submit articles to IEEE journals or participate in leadership and governance bodies which they belong to. What they can’t do is to get access to the technical information that would be a part of a research article. The Huawei scientists cannot receive or access materials submitted by other persons prior to its acceptance by IEEE.

Protests from Chinese Side

In protest to the US declaration, the China Computer Federation (CCF), a Beijing-based professional society has announced suspension of its ties with the IEEE. The CCF said in a statement that it would snap its “communication and collaboration” with a division of IEEE, just hours after the confirmation of keeping Huawei scientists aside from the review process of the latter’s journals.

CCF, which is listed as one of IEEE’s sister societies, said on its website that it would also delete some IEEE journals on its list. This move came after two professors of the Peking University and Tsinghua University, the premiere Chinese Universities, declared their resignations from IEEE in protest of the sanction put on Huawei scientists from the peer review process.

The Financial Times reported that Huawei has ordered its employees to cancel technical meetings with American contacts and sent home numerous US employees working at its Chinese headquarters.

Paul Triolo of the global risk assessment firm Eurasia group said—“We think it may be the beginning of Beijing's attempt to roll out a retaliatory framework. That could include a number of other elements, such as restrictions on rare earth shipments (minerals that are crucial in many mobile devices and electric cars made by U.S. companies).”