ZTE hasn’t been having a good month. According to a report by the Nikkei Asian Review, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Foreign Trade has issued an order to all Taiwanese companies to suspend all trades with ZTE until they obtain permission from it.
For context; ZTE was banned by the US from purchasing any electronic supplies from US-based companies, after it was discovered that it was selling US-made telecommunications hardware from companies such as Qualcomm to Iran and North Korea – two countries that are currently on the country’s sanctions list.
Taiwan, it would seem, is playing things carefully, ensuring that none of its own companies accidentally run afoul of US international policy. It’s unclear if American officials had pushed for this change of regulations, but it certainly feels like the island nation trying to stay on the superpower’s good side.
To be clear, the Taiwanese Government body isn’t outright banning the companies from doing business with ZTE. Obtaining the permission could take up to five days, after which, the companies are free to conduct business with ZTE as usual.
(Source: Nikkei Asian Review)
