Huawei founder blasts US acts

HUAWEI founder Ren Zhengfei says the arrest of his daughter, the company’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, was politically motivated.

“Firstly, I object to what the US has done. This kind of politically motivated act is not acceptable,” Mr Ren said in a television interview.

And he issued a stark warning: “There’s no way the US can crush us.”

Mr Ren says the charges against Ms Meng and Huawei for money laundering, stealing trade secrets and fraud are an attempt to stifle his business.

“The world cannot leave us because we are more advanced,” Mr Ren said.

Canada arrested Ms Meng on December 1 at the request of the US. Ms Meng was charged with bank and wire fraud to violate sanctions against Iran.

The US Justice Department has denied the charges were politically motivated.

“The Justice Department’s criminal case against Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is based solely on the evidence and the law,” spokeswoman Nicole Navas said in a statement.

“The department pursues cases free of any political interference and follows the evidence and rule of law.”

Huawei, along with another Chinese network equipment company, ZTE Corp, has been accused by the US of working for the Chinese Government.

The US has said their equipment could be used to spy on the American people. Huawei has repeatedly denied the claims. Commenting on the spying concerns, the Huawei founder reiterated the company would “never undertake” any spying activities.

Huawei, the world’s biggest producer of telecoms equipment, faces intense scrutiny in the West over its relationship with the Chinese Government and allegations of enabling state espionage, with the US

THIS KIND OF POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ACT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THERE’S NO WAY THE US CAN CRUSH US REN ZHENGFEI

calling for its allies not to use its technology.

In comments on a potential ban in the UK, Mr Ren said it would not make the company withdraw its UK investments, adding that it would shift its investments to the UK from the US if their actions against Huawei continued.

“If the US doesn’t trust us, then we will shift our investment from the US to the UK,” he said.

China’s government has accused the US of trying to block the country’s industrial development by alleging that Chinese mobile network gear poses a cybersecurity threat to countries rolling out new internet systems.