Huawei Founder Uncovers the Far Side of the Company

About a month after Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada, Ren Zhengfei, founder of Huawei and father of Meng, stepped into the spotlight on Jan. 17 to shed light on the recent turn of events involving the Chinese tech giant.

SEE ALSO: Huawei CFO Arrested in Canada with Possible Extradition to U.S.

This meeting is extraordinary as it’s been four and a half years since Ren took questions from Chinese media, and the case where Meng and another Huawei senior executive being arrested is still on everyone’s lips.

“In order to boost public confidence in Huawei, I was forced by the Public Relations Department to take interviews,” said Ren.

Ren’s answers show that he stays positive about Huawei’s status quo and future. Even with tough questions regarding recent dilemmas, arrests and innovation, he tackled them head-on. Here are some excerpts.

Reporter: As the U.S. has until the end of January to file a formal extradition request, are you facing any problems?
Ren: We will get through this by legal measures. As Meng Wanzhou’s father, I thank the Chinese government for protecting her rights as a Chinese citizen and providing consular protection. I am also grateful for the society’s support, concern and attention regarding her case.

Reporter: Huawei has been in some trouble recently. Has the company thought about if its research and development is enough to fight against those problems?
Ren: Well, ten years ago we already realized these problems would arise, and we have been preparing for a dozen years. That means we are not hurried or unprepared. Of course it will affect us, but we will not be thrashed.

Reporter: What do you think independent innovation means to Chinese companies in the status quo?
Ren: I have never been a supporter of the so-called independent innovation, as I believe science and technology to be the common wealth of mankind. The only way we can shorten the time it takes to ascend to the top is to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Reporter: What is Huawei’s plan to face the anti-globalization movement?
Ren: We are not thrown by the overseas changes, because we are confident, we believe that our products are better than anyone else’s, and they will just want to buy them. There is only company in the world that combines 5G base stations and the most advanced microwave technology into one base station, and that is Huawei.

Reporter: Chinese companies, including Huawei, have long been criticized for copyright infringement. What are your thoughts on this?
Ren: I can only speak on behalf of Huawei, rather than Chinese companies, about this. Although Huawei has been engaged in several lawsuits in the U.S., they turn out to be pretty good in the end. Our tech patents are valuable to the American information society. And we have reached cross-license agreements with many Western companies. Huawei cannot speak for other entities, but we fully respect others’ intellectural property.

Ren believed that annual sales revenues in five years are going to more than double, as the company is planning to invest heavily in research and development over the next five years to become the best network in the world.

Featured photo credit to Internet