Photo: Chen Qingqing/GT

Huawei has not seen any change from the US side so far on its sanctions, though the US pledged to lift the ban, senior executives said on Friday. The company is prepared to ensure continued business, they noted.

"We understand Trump's statement concerning sanctions on Huawei being lifted at the G20, but we don't see any tangible change thus far," Liang Hua, the company's chairman, said at a press conference in the company's headquarters in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, on Friday. 

US President Donald Trump said at the G20 summit  that US companies could sell their equipment to Huawei, as long as transactions will not present a great national emergency problem. This was widely seen as a U-turn after the US government blacklisted Huawei in May for so-called "national security" reasons. 

Liang said the company is confident in its business continuity, as it has already devised a mature supply continuity program that will ensure its business survives and thrives despite the US government crackdown. For instance, its chipset division, HiSilicon, can now ensure the supply of major Huawei products such as smartphones. 

The comments were made at the launch of Huawei's 2018 sustainability report, which indicates that Huawei's 5G base stations consume 20 percent less power than the industry average.

As one of Huawei's backup plans, HongMeng OS is widely seen as an option for its operating system (OS), since Google followed the US government's instruction in May to partially limit the Chinese company's access to Android. "Whether HongMeng OS will replace Android is up to Google. If it insists on cutting its OS to Huawei, HongMeng OS may take to the smartphone business. An open Android system and ecosystem is now a top priority," Liang said.

"It can be used in autonomous driving and remote medical services. Since 5G-empowered technology already has a very low latency, HongMeng OS will help further lower latency and enhance connectivity," Liang added.

Huawei is still considered a major bargaining chip in China-US trade negotiations, and the US side will not easily let it go, analysts said. 

"It is unlikely that the US will totally lift its sanctions on Huawei. It will still set up some obstacles," Xiang Ligang, the Beijing-based Information Consumption Alliance, told the Global Times on Friday.