Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei doesn’t want relief from US sanctions if it means China must make concessions in trade war
- Ren says company cannot ask for favours that might hurt interests of country’s poor majority, despite Trump seeing telecoms giant as possible bargaining chip
- Founder says firm unlikely to be removed from US trade blacklist, but is confident Huawei will do well without relying on American companies
The founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Tuesday that he expected no relief from US export curbs because of the political climate in Washington but expressed confidence the company would thrive because it is developing its own technology.
Ren Zhengfei also said he did not want relief from US sanctions if it required China to make concessions in a tariff war, even if that means his daughter, who is under house arrest in Canada on US criminal charges, faces a longer legal struggle.
In an interview at Huawei’s sprawling, leafy headquarters campus in Shenzhen, the 74-year-old Ren said Huawei expected US curbs on most technology sales to go ahead despite Monday’s announcement of a second 90-day delay. He said no one in Washington would risk standing up for the company.
The biggest impact will be on American vendors that sell chips and other components to Huawei, the biggest maker of network gear for phone companies, he said.
Washington has placed Huawei on its “Entity List” of foreign companies that require official permission to buy American technology.
“Whether the Entity List is extended or not, that will not have a substantial impact on Huawei’s business,” said Ren. “We can do well without relying on American companies.”
