ZTE suspended most of its business operations last week in the wake of the Trump administration banning US companies from selling components to the Chinese firm. Far more reliant than its larger compatriot Huawei on foreign suppliers, the company’s future was looking rocky. President Trump appeared to relent on Monday, tweeting that he would work to help the firm stay in business, but the outcome for ZTE, and its supply chain, still looks uncertain. And even if there is a last minute rescue this time, the developments have created nervousness among Chinese and US firms alike, about escalating trade tensions and unpredictable government interventions. In the same week, there were two pieces of news which highlighted China’s determination to become…