Sullivan Vows in Beijing Trip to Stay Course on China Chip Curbs

  • US national security advisor held three days of talks in China
  • Biden officials say Beijing severely hurt by US chip measures

Jake Sullivan with Xi Jinping during their meeting.

Photographer: Trevor Hunnicut/AFP/Getty Images
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Sitting on a Boeing 737 en route to Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials, Jake Sullivan thought there was a reasonable chance that Huawei Technologies Co. would roll out a new phone or AI chip during his visit in a bid to embarrass him.

That’s exactly what the Chinese telecommunications giant did last year when US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo — one of the key people responsible for implementing strict US tech curbs spearheaded by Sullivan — visited the Chinese capital. Memes on Chinese social media sarcastically branded her a “Huawei ambassador.”