Chinese tech giant Huawei is likely to re-enter the Pakistani smartphones market at the year's end, company officials reveal recently.

In an intercation with local media at an event, Huawei’s executives in Pakistan that the re-launch was expected by the end of this year or by early 2024. The ceremony, organised to launch the company’s annual report for 2022, was aired in many countries, including Pakistan.

The development comes as Huawei Chairman Eric Xu last week issued fighting words against US tech export restrictions on China.

He told reporters at a press conference that China’s chip industry would be “reborn” as a result of US sanctions. “I believe China’s semiconductor industry will not sit idly by but take efforts around ... self-strengthening and self-reliance,” Mr Xu said, according to an official translation of his comments.

“For Huawei, we will render our support to all such self-saving, self-strengthening and self-reliance efforts of the Chinese semiconductor industry,” Xu said.