The Technological Competition: Sanctions on Huawei

The U.S. sanctions imposed on Huawei represent a significant milestone in the growing technological rivalry between the United States and China. The aim of this thesis is to examine the reasons behind the United States’ decision to impose sanctions and to show how this rivalry is reflected in the measures taken. The study explores both the security and economic motivations for the sanctions, such as U.S. national security concerns, Huawei’s reported ties to the Chinese government, and the United States’ efforts to maintain its position in global competition. The thesis primarily focuses on tracing the process of sanction imposition and examines the individual steps taken by the United States, leading to Huawei’s placement on the Entity List. In the final part, the effectiveness of the sanctions is evaluated, and potential ways to address the issue are discussed. The theoretical framework of the thesis is based on sanction theory and the concept of techno-nationalism. The method of process tracing is used to clearly show the sequence of events, from the reasons behind the sanctions to their consequences.