Google is reportedly limiting China's Huawei's use of Android as part of broader efforts by Washington in cracking down on the Chinese firm, a move likely to jeopardize Google's monopoly in operating systems while helping accelerate homegrown software.
The U.S. tech giant is reportedly suspending some of its business with Huawei following the Trump administration's export control, which means the Chinese company will only be able to access some of Google's software and services that have open source licensing, Reuters reported on Monday.
"We are complying with the order and reviewing the implications," a Google spokesperson said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Monday morning in response to the report.
Chinese analysts forecast that if Google cuts off Huawei's Android license, it will cause significant troubles for the Chinese company's overseas smartphone business.
Fang Xingdong, founder of Beijing-based technology think tank ChinaLabs, said the move indicated the U.S. intervenes in the market in a "barbaric" way.
"The U.S. also accuses the Chinese government of stepping in and controlling companies, but how about them? They take a very nasty move by depriving Huawei of normal business," Fang told the Global Times on Monday.
Google's Android and Apple's iOs are the two major operating systems for mobile devices. In 2018, Android held about 85.1 percent of the market share, while iOS had 14.9 percent, according to global industry consultancy IDC.
If Google can't handle this properly, it will break down its Android dominance, as it will lose the second-largest Android-equipped smartphone vendor, analysts said.
Huawei has been developing its own proprietary operating systems in case the U.S. imposes a ban on the export of U.S.-made products and services like Android and Windows to the company, according to media reports.
"It is crystal clear now which tech company is manipulated by politics," said Xiang Ligang, director-general of the Information Consumption Alliance.
Huawei had not responded to the report when contacted by the Global Times as of press time on Monday.
However, the move will inspire Huawei to move faster in coming up with its self-developed systems amid rising difficulties, analysts said.
