Engineering and science publisher the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has lifted its ban on Huawei employees.
The short-lived restrictions were announced last week, with the IEEE saying in a statement that it “complies with US government regulations which restrict the ability of the listed Huawei companies and their employees to participate in certain activities that are not generally open to the public.
“This includes certain aspects of the publication peer review and editorial process,” it added.
Though the ban wouldn’t have affected Huawei too much, with the IEEE assuring the Chinese firm that it would still be allowed to submit papers and attend IEEE-hosted conferences, the organisation announced that the ban has now been lifted.
It said it’s revoked the ban after consulting with the US Department of Commerce on whether the export control restrictions apply to its own activities.
“Based on this new information, employees of Huawei and its affiliates may participate as peer reviewers and editors in our publication process. All IEEE members, regardless of employer, can continue to participate in all of the activities of the IEEE,” it said.
A number of Chinese professional societies, including the Chinese Institute of Electronics and China Institute of Communications, also slammed the IEEE in a joint letter issued, which urged the organisation to reinstate Huawei in the peer review process.
“We urge IEEE to realise the harm it has done to global science community and use its action to clean its bad impact and bring academic exchange back to its right track.”