Huawei’s chairman took to the stage Monday (May 18).

It was the company’s first response to U.S. moves to cut it off from global chip supplies.

Guo Ping made no attempt to downplay the impact:

"Our business will inevitably be massively impacted. But this past year of practice has given us a thick skin. We are confident that we can find a solution soon.”

Guo says "survival" is now the firm’s watchword.

The handset and telecom gear maker says it’s doing all it can to find a workaround.

It’s already massively ramped up research and development spending.

Guo’s comments come after Washington said it would require licences for sales to Huawei of chips made abroad but with U.S. technology.

The company has been on a U.S. blacklist for over a year over allegations it colludes with Chinese spies - charges the firm strongly denies.

Company Vice President of International Media Joe Kelly sees commercial motives behind the U.S. policy:

"The U.S. is leveraging its own technological strengths in an attempt to crush companies outside its own borders. This will only serve to undermine the trust that international companies place in U.S. technology and U.S. supply chains. Ultimately we believe that this will harm U.S. interests.”

Huawei says it spent 18.7 billion dollars last year buying from U.S. suppliers, and would continue to buy from them if allowed.

None of that is enough to mollify China hawks in the Trump administration.