Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      Britehouse breaks free from NTT Data

      10 July 2025

      Samsung’s bet on folding phones faces major test

      10 July 2025

      OpenAI to launch web browser in direct challenge to Google Chrome

      10 July 2025

      The satellite broadband operators taking on Starlink

      9 July 2025

      Yaccarino out: Musk’s handpicked CEO quits X suddenly

      9 July 2025
    • World

      Grok 4 arrives with bold claims and fresh controversy

      10 July 2025

      Cupertino vs Brussels: Apple challenges Big Tech crackdown

      7 July 2025

      Grammarly acquires e-mail start-up Superhuman

      1 July 2025

      Apple considers ditching its own AI in Siri overhaul

      1 July 2025

      Jony Ive’s first AI gadget could be … a pen

      30 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Siemens is battling Big Tech for AI supremacy in factories

      24 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025
    • TCS

      TCS | Connecting Saffas – Renier Lombard on The Lekker Network

      7 July 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E4: Takealot’s big Post Office jobs plan

      4 July 2025

      TCS | Tech, townships and tenacity: Spar’s plan to win with Spar2U

      3 July 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on the latest and greatest cloud technologies

      27 June 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on data governance in hybrid cloud environments

      27 June 2025
    • Opinion

      In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

      30 June 2025

      E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

      30 June 2025

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » Sections » Huawei founder breaks years of silence amid US attacks

    Huawei founder breaks years of silence amid US attacks

    By Agency Staff15 January 2019
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp
    Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. Image: cellanr/Flickr

    Ren Zhengfei, the billionaire founder of Huawei Technologies, broke a years-long silence as his technology empire faces its biggest crisis over three decades of existence.

    The telecommunications mogul called Donald Trump “a great president” and said he will take a wait-and-see approach to whether the US leader will intervene in the case of his eldest daughter and Huawei finance chief Meng Wanzhou. She is now in Canada facing extradition to the US.

    The emergence of the reclusive Ren, who last spoke with foreign media in 2015, underscores the depth of the attacks on Huawei, the largest symbol of China’s growing technological might. Accused of helping defraud banks, Meng’s plight helped crystallise fears the company aids Beijing in espionage against governments. Washington has since convinced a growing list of allies to blacklist Huawei’s bread-and-butter networking equipment.

    I love my country, I support the Communist Party. But I will not do anything to harm the world

    “I love my country, I support the Communist Party. But I will not do anything to harm the world,” the 74-year-old told a select roundtable briefing, only his third formal chat with foreign reporters. “I don’t see a close connection between my personal political beliefs and the businesses of Huawei.”

    Ren, who joined the party after leaving the People’s Liberation Army, stressed the potential for cooperation with the US and Trump’s administration. He played down Huawei’s role in current tensions between Washington and Beijing, which have rattled investors and corporations worldwide.

    “Huawei is only a sesame seed in the trade conflict between China and the US,” Ren said from the company’s campus in Shenzhen. “Trump is a great president. He dares to massively cut tax, which will benefit the business. But you have to treat well the companies and countries so that they are will be willing to invest in the US and the government will be able to collect enough tax.”

    Legendary figure

    Ren, a legendary figure in Chinese business circles who still runs the company despite stepping back from the day-to-day, is a uniquely placed voice in a conflict that will help define the global landscape in coming years.

    A string of Huawei executives — all the way up to rotating chairman Ken Hu — have taken to media in recent weeks to deny allegations of espionage and challenge its accusers to provide proof of shady dealings. But the arrest in Poland last week of a sales executive accused of espionage may have helped prompt the reclusive CEO to personally marshal Huawei’s global response. The employee in Poland was fired over the weekend.

    Despite the potential impact on his business, Ren said he was confident Huawei’s revenue would grow to US$125-billion in 2019 from more than US$100 billion last year.

    “Huawei is not a public company, we don’t need a beautiful earnings report,” Ren said. “If they don’t want Huawei to be in some markets, we can scale down a bit. As long as we can survive and feed our employees, there’s a future for us.”  — (c) 2019 Bloomberg LP



    Donald Trump Huawei Meng Wanzhou Ren Zhengfei top
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleThe Tech Lab: A next-gen content marketing and PR agency for SA tech companies
    Next Article SA space agency earns global recognition

    Related Posts

    Still in play: Ramaphosa banks on talks to ease US tariff blow

    8 July 2025

    Ramaphosa blasts Trump over threatened Brics tariffs

    8 July 2025

    Huawei South Africa Partners Forum 2025: joining hands for a digital, intelligent future

    8 July 2025
    Company News

    Samsung unfolds the future with thinnest, lightest Galaxy Z Fold yet

    9 July 2025

    Huawei supercharges South African SMEs with over 20 new eKit products

    9 July 2025

    Webtonic cracks the talent code with AWS-powered TonicHub

    9 July 2025
    Opinion

    In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

    30 June 2025

    E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

    30 June 2025

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.