Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei has pledged to stick to a globalisation strategy despite external pressure.
In a statement, Huawei says Ren has called on the new US administration to come up with more open policies that are in the interests of US companies and the US economy as a whole.
According to Huawei, these are the first public remarks the Huawei founder has made since the change of the US administration in January.
Ren was speaking during a press briefing in Taiyuan, the capital city of China’s northern Shanxi province, after launching the Intelligent Mining Innovation Lab.
The US government under former president Donald Trump blacklisted Chinese tech companies such as Huawei, accusing them of posing “national security” threats because of their alleged close ties with the Chinese government.
These allegations have from time to time been rebuffed by the companies.
It remains to be seen whether new president Joe Biden will make attempts to pacify tensions between the US government and Chinese tech giants.
This as the trade war between the US and China – the world’s two biggest economies – escalated under the Trump administration.
Nonetheless, Ren said: “Trade benefits both sides. Allowing US companies to supply goods to Chinese customers is conducive to their own financial performance. If Huawei's production capacity expands, US companies could us sell more. It's a win-win situation. I believe the new administration will weigh these interests as they consider their policies.”
Ren stated that Huawei creates value for the whole ecosystem and wider economy. He cited the example of how Huawei built 5G networks in many cities in Europe, Asia and Middle East, benefiting all the users on those networks.
“The fact high-end users can use the iPhone 12 to its fullest effect on our 5G networks in Europe is a testament to the quality of our networks,” said Ren.
“As humanity keeps making progress, no company can develop a globalised industry alone. It requires concerted efforts around the world,” Ren added.
Huawei notes the US government has been campaigning against the company in the past two years, alleging its equipment could be used to spy on Americans, without presenting any evidence.
Ren said he is now even more confident about Huawei's survival. “We have found new and more ways to overcome our challenges caused by the US sanctions. Our sales revenue and profits in 2020 were higher than the previous years."
The Huawei chairman said new strategies include research and development, and growing deeper roots in vertical industries around the world to enable the digital transformation with Huawei’s core ICT capabilities.
He noted the Intelligent Mining Innovation Lab will result in better services for mines with 5G.
“By supporting the mining industry, we can grow our business, and support more efficient and safer production in mines. We can also enable coal mine workers to ‘wear suits and ties’ at work,” Ren said.
“In the 5G era, connecting businesses is the main goal. There are many industries that we are not too familiar with, like airports, ports, coal mining, iron and steel production, automotive manufacturing and aircraft manufacturing. That's why we built joint labs to learn more about the needs of these industries.”
Huawei’s business results for the first nine months of the year 2020 showed that, revenue totalled 671.3 billion yuan ($98.57 billion), up 9.9% from that of the same period in 2019.
“We'll continue serving our customers well by creating more value for them. We want them to have lasting faith in us, and we hope that they won't sway because of political pressure,” concluded Ren.
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