China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang has advised Chinese companies to resort to legal means in defending their rights after reports emerged that Google was complying with US demands to end all cooperation with the Chinese telecom giant Huawei.
"We learned of this through media reports. Once we have received official confirmation, we shall closely follow the development of events," Lu Kang said in a press briefing, adding "China fully supports its companies in their attempts to legally defend their rights and interests."
Earlier, Reuters cited reports that the US company Google was severing dealings with Huawei in the wake of its blacklisting by the US.
READ MORE: China's Huawei Refuses to Yield to US Demands Amid Blacklisting
In a response to Google opting to comply with the order barring the Chinese company from getting updates to its Android operating system, Huawei said it would continue to provide security updates and services for its smartphones and tablets.
“We have made substantial contributions to the development and growth of Android around the world,” a spokesman said on Monday.
“Huawei will continue to provide security updates and after-sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products, covering those that have been sold and that are still in stock globally.”
“We will continue to build a safe and sustainable software ecosystem, in order to provide the best experience for all users globally,” he added.
Google earlier became the first in a string of US corporations to sever their dealings with Huawei, cutting off the supply of hardware and some software services to Huawei.
Future Huawei phones, which run Google's Android operating system, are set to lose access to updates to some Google apps, including YouTube and Maps, but the existing devices will be safe.
READ MORE: Chinese Users Call for Boycott of Apple Phones Due to US Trade War
Top US tech companies have suspended the supply of their software and gear to the Chinese telecom giant.
According to Bloomberg, chip companies including Intel, Qualcomm, Xilinx, and Broadcom have told employees they will not supply the besieged company until further notice.
Huawei, the world's largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment, has rejected all accusations and maintains it is independent from China's authorities.
