
China’s tech leaders use dramatic messages to rally the troops
Huawei CEO calls on employees not to be anti-US
When the going gets tough, how do leaders fire up their employees? In China, tech executives often turn to dramatic statements, laced with historical references.
Huawei CEO: “Never let anti-US sentiment guide our work”
Huawei has long tried to grow in the US smartphone market, repeatedly trying to partner with a local carrier without success. Despite the setbacks, the company’s founder and CEO told his staff not to develop any resentment towards the US.
Ren also invoked the story of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who was purged from the Communist Party three times during his nearly 50-year career, before he finally succeeded Mao Zedong.
“Company leaders who have been demoted … should take the opportunity to improve their abilities and achieve greater results in the future,” he wrote.

The memo went out a few weeks after US President Donald Trump threatened billions of dollars of tariffs on Chinese imports -- but before Washington punished ZTE by banning it from buying from American companies for seven years.
ZTE chairman: Keep calm and carry on
“I’d like to appeal all employees to maintain a state of calm, to man one’s post and do one’s job well,” read the memo, which evokes the Keep Calm and Carry On slogan created by the British government on the eve of World War II.

Ofo CEO: Fight till the end like Churchill
Dai compared the status of his company to the difficult situation faced by Winston Churchill as portrayed in the 2017 war drama Darkest Hour. In the film, the British prime minister refused to surrender to Nazi Germany, determined to battle to the end.

In another bizarre nod to Churchill, Dai named a new project “Victory” -- which will be declared a success when Ofo turns a profit of just 1 yuan (16 US cents).
The Honor 10 brings Huawei’s AI features to a budget-friendly handset
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For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.
