Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei defiant over US blacklisting
- Ren expects the US to further escalate its campaign against Huawei
The founder of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies has shrugged off US pressure on his company.
Ren Zhengfei struck a casually defiant tone at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, when asked about the US government’s blacklisting of Huawei, the world’s largest telecoms equipment supplier.
He said on Tuesday that being added to the US list of sanctioned companies “didn’t hurt us much”.
“We basically withstood the challenges,” said Ren, who serves as Huawei’s chief executive.
US President Donald Trump’s administration has been lobbying allies in Europe and elsewhere to block wireless carriers from using Huawei’s equipment in next-generation 5G mobile networks over concerns it could facilitate cyber espionage by the Chinese government. The Shenzhen-based company has denied those allegations.
Ren spoke just as Trump arrived in Davos to deliver a speech and take part in meetings.
“This year the US might further escalate their campaign against Huawei, but I feel the impact on Huawei’s business would not be very significant,” said Ren, who spoke through an interpreter.
Huawei has learned from its experiences and put in a stronger team, he said. “We are more confident that we can survive even further attacks.”
