Trump’s attempt to stifle Huawei’s progress could backfire badly – and cause a headache for Google

It has been described as a kill switch for Huawei’s ambitions to supplant Samsung at the top of the smartphone charts (it’s currently in second place, with Apple running third).

Google’s suspension of business activities with the Chinese tech giant – which affects the transfer for hardware and software and the provision of key technical services – has dealt its thriving smartphone business a heavy blow.

The decision was taken to comply with America’s decision to put the firm on what’s known as the “Entity List”, meaning Google would need to obtain a license to sell products to it.