“The US has set an example for all countries and companies worldwide on being open,” he said at the Huawei-sponsored event. “If [a country] is closed off, it will fall behind.”

Shenzhen-based Huawei has been barred from buying hardware, software and services from American hi-tech suppliers since May 2019, when it was added to Washington’s trade blacklist. Tightened trade restrictions imposed by the US government in 2020 further limited Huawei’s access to advanced semiconductors developed or produced using US technology, regardless of where they were manufactured.