Huawei’s advanced AI chip initiative, however, suddenly faced a major obstacle a year later in August 2020, when the US Commerce Department tightened restrictions by barring the sale of semiconductor products and services – sourced from anywhere with US technology – to the company and its affiliates without a requisite licence.As a result, Huawei supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s largest and most advanced contract chipmaker, ceased doing business with the Chinese firm a...