Huawei doesn’t spy for China: CEO
Ren also praises Trump, calling him ‘great president’
— The founder of Huawei said Tuesday his company would refuse to disclose secrets about its customers and their communication networks, trying to lay to rest concerns the Chinese tech giant might spy for the Communist government.
Ren Zhengfei spoke in a rare meeting with foreign reporters as Huawei Technologies tries to protect its access to global telecom carriers that are investing heavily in next-generation technology.
His comments were the 74-year-old former military engineer’s most direct public response to accusations his company is controlled by the ruling Communist Party or is required to facilitate Chinese spying.
Huawei, the biggest global supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies, is China’s first global tech brand. The United States, Australia, Japan and some other governments have imposed curbs on use of its technology over such concerns.
“We would definitely say no to such a request,” Ren said when asked how the company would respond to a government demand for confidential information about a foreign buyer of its telecom technology.
Asked whether Huawei would challenge such an order in court, Ren chuckled and said it would be up to Chinese authorities to “file litigation.”
Ren said neither he nor the company have ever received a government request for “improper information” about anyone.
Huawei is facing heightened scrutiny as phone carriers prepare to roll out fifth-generation technology in which Huawei is a leading competi- tor. 5G is designed to support a vast expansion of networks to serve medical devices, self-driving cars and other technology. That increases the cost of potential security failures and has prompted governments increasingly to treat telecoms communications networks as strategic assets.
The company’s image suffered a new blow last week when Polish authorities announced one of its Chinese employees was arrested on spying charges. Huawei announced it fired the employee and said the allegations had nothing to do with the company.
Ren is the father of Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested Dec. 1 in Canada on U.S. charges related to possible violations of trade sanctions on Iran.
Ren said he couldn’t discuss Meng’s case while it still was before a court. But he said Huawei obeys the law, including export restrictions, in every country where it operates.
Ren expressed gratitude to Canadi- an justice officials for their treatment of Meng, who was released on bail and is staying in a house in Vancouver. He also expressed thanks to her fellow jail inmates prior to her release “for treating her kindly.”
“After all the evidence is made public, we will rely on the justice system,” he said. “We are sure there will be a just conclusion to this matter.”
Two Canadians were arrested by Chinese authorities on national security charges, prompting suggestions abroad they might be hostages to secure Meng’s release. On Monday, a Chinese court sentenced a Canadian to death in a drug case after he was ordered retried.
Asked whether he felt that Huawei was linked to accusations Beijing took hostages, Ren said he saw no connection between the Canadians and Meng’s case.
Ren, one of the oldest Chinese executives still working, was jovial and animated during the two hour and 20 minute meeting. Dressed in a blue sport coat and an open-necked light blue shirt, he was accompanied by two Huawei board members, Chen Lifang and William Xu, and other company managers.
Ren said he became a Communist Party member in the early 1980s after the state press published reports about his development of a measuring tool for an engineering project. Before then, he could not join because his father was deemed a “capitalist roader,” but the party was trying to promote young, technologically capable people following the end of the violent, ultra-radical Cultural Revolution in 1976.
Ren founded Huawei in 1987 to sell imported telecom switching gear to Chinese phone companies after the People’s Liberation Army disbanded his engineering unit, according to the company.
Ren said that despite his party membership, Huawei makes decisions based on its customers’ needs.
“I don’t see a close connection between my personal political beliefs and our commercial decisions,” he said.
Huawei’s U.S. market evaporated in 2012 after a congressional panel said the company and its smaller Chinese rival, ZTE Corp., were security risks and urged phone companies to avoid them.