Huawei has been under pressure since early in the decade over U.S. allegations its gear could be a conduit for Chinese spying, a concern the company says is unfounded.
The United States has ratcheted up the rhetoric in the past year, calling on allies to bar the firm from next-generation 5G mobile networks while locking horns with China in a trade war.
Against this backdrop, Huawei has been a key part of China's campaign to develop its own capabilities in chips and reduce reliance on imports from companies such as Qualcomm, Intel and Samsung Electronics .
Huawei's chip division produced more than $7.5 billion worth of chips last year, its rotating chairman Eric Xu had told Reuters. That compares with an estimated $21 billon worth of chips that Huawei acquired from outside vendors.
A Huawei spokesman said the company will use HiSilicon products to substitute banned American components where possible, but declined to provide more details.
HiSilicon's He has described the self-sufficiency efforts as a "long march in the history of technology" that would pay off with the United State's "crazy decision". "All the spare tires we have been making, now is the time to use them!"
