Founder calls for collaboration with global community
Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei (Photo courtesy of Huawei Philippines)
By Alithea De Jesus
Tech and innovation giant Huawei reported positive growth in both sales revenue and net profits for 2020 despite the various challenges they faced last year.
For 2021, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei expressed his confidence that there are significant levels of confidence from its customers and that the company will continue to focus on its globalization strategy to resolve its current challenges and collaborate with other partners.
Zhengfei met with the media and granted them time to interview him and answered several questions about Huawei.
There were several issues about the challenges that Huawei continues to face in the global market not to mention the geopolitical issues, Huawei phone shipments, and the stalled 5G expansion in Europe.
But for the founder of Huawei believes that these setbacks are something he and his company can handle.
“I am even more confident about Huawei’s survival than I was because we have more ways to overcome those challenges. Our sales revenue and profits in 2020 were higher than the previous year (2019),” Zhengfei said.
“We are still winning trust from a large number of customers which is evident in the Port of Ningbo, Shenzhen Airport, Dubai International Airport, and the automobile factories in Germany that use our 5G services to see for yourself how we are helping them advance,” he added.
US President Biden’s Administration
Aware of the belligerent stance of former US President Donald Trump since his ascent to power, Zhengfei was asked about the prospect under the new leadership of US President-elect Joe Biden as to whether the sanctions put against Huawei will stay or will it be rolled back.
Zhengfei replied, “First, 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 expanded, that would mean US companies could sell more. It’s a win-win situation.”
“I believe the new administration will weigh and balance these interests as they consider their policies. We still hope to be able to buy a lot of US components, parts, and machinery so that US companies can also develop with the Chinese economy,” he added.
The founder of Huawei also noted that being a businessman he never wishes to lock horns with the US government or any government for that matter.
“As a business, we don’t have the energy to get involved in a political whirlpool. Our heads are buried in making our own products. Because our products are high quality, some customers around the world still stick with us and we managed to survive this difficult 2020,” Zhengfei explained.
“We’ll continue serving these customers well by creating more value for them. We want them to have lasting faith in us, and we hope that they won’t be swayed because of political pressure. I hope the new US administration will come up with more open policies that are in the interests of US companies and the US economy as a whole,” the founder of Huawei added.
“Some US politicians have concerns over the potential impact 5G may have on a global scale. As I once pledged, we would transfer all of our 5G technologies, not just licensing production to others. As long as the US asks for it, we would transfer everything from the source programs and source code to all the hardware design secrets and know-how, and even the chip design. I meant what I said, but no US company has come forward. I hope you can help us relay this message to US companies. If they want to talk, we’d be happy to talk,” he pointed out.
Hopeful with US relationship
Despite the odds of China with the US that drags and caught Huawei in the middle, Zhengfei remains confident that a good talk would pave the way for common development.
“Both the US and China need to develop their economies, as this is good for our society and financial balance. Everyone needs this. As humanity keeps making progress, no company can develop a globalized industry alone. It requires concerted efforts around the world,” the founder of Huawei concluded.