Tech body IEEE lifts restrictions on Huawei and its affiliates

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has lifted the restrictions on the editorial and peer review activities of Huawei and its affiliates after receiving clarification from the U.S. government for its latest export control restrictions policy.

"All IEEE members, regardless of employer, can continue to participate in all of the activities of the IEEE," the institute said in a statement on Sunday.

The logo of Huawei is pictured inside the Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, March 25, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

The activities of Huawei and its affiliates in the IEEE were also affected after the U.S. Department of Commerce applied export control restrictions to them on May 16, 2019.

The move was widely questioned by global academia as the IEEE is a technical professional organization for the world that is free of politics.

In issuing a formal response to the incident, ten academic institutions led by China Institute of Communications said they are firmly against the politicization of academic exchanges.

IEEE added in its latest statement that it appreciated the many questions and comments from its members and volunteers around the world and recognizes that science and technology are a global activity.