Xiaomi tycoon denies seating spat with ‘rival’ at National People’s Congress
Newspaper had suggested the head of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, had snubbed Gree boss Dong Mingzhu
A mobile phone tycoon has denied that he and another company chief executive refused to sit next to each other at a National People’s Congress meeting in Beijing after the two firms were involved in a high-profile dispute last year over intellectual property rights.
Dong Mingzhu, the chief executive of the home appliance maker Gree Electric was due to sit next to Lei Jun, the chief of the smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi at preparatory meeting of delegates from Guangdong, according to the seating plan, the Economic Daily reported.
Dong, of the country’s most successful businesswomen, was spotted sitting one row behind Lei.
She had described rival appliance maker Midea and its investor Xiaomi as “thieves” in December for using Gree patents to produce air conditioners.
A court had fined Midea 2 million yuan (HK$2.5 million) for the offence.
Lei denied they had avoided each other at the meeting.
He said the pair had discussed the gossip online about them not sitting together, Xinhua reported.
“I was late for the meeting and there was only one seat left,” he said.
“No one was sitting according to the seating arrangement.”
