Huawei CEO very first remarks on Biden: Pushes for ‘shared success’

TAIYUAN, China — Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei stated he’d welcome a cellular phone phone from U.S. President Joe Biden, in his initial public remarks due to the fact the improve of administration in Washington.

Ren is hoping for a softer solution towards the Chinese telecommunication big he started soon after around two many years of pressure from Washington. Huawei was labeled a countrywide safety threat beneath the Trump administration, which took actions to hamper the company’s obtain to crucial application and parts.

Washington alleged Huawei’s networking products could be utilised to spy on Individuals. Huawei has continuously denied those promises.

“I would welcome these phone phone calls and the concept is about joint enhancement and shared good results,” Ren stated in Chinese reviews translated by an formal interpreter all through a briefing with reporters. “The U.S. would like to have financial advancement and China desires to have economic progress as nicely.”

Ren struck an optimistic tone declaring that his confidence “rose” in the past year about “Huawei’s means to endure.” 

That arrived inspite of the complications in their smartphone enterprise as well as some countries over the past 12 month, these kinds of as the U.K., blocking Huawei from its 5G market. 

“We have additional implies to defeat the troubles,” Ren said.

Huawei also accomplished optimistic earnings and net earnings growth for 2020, the CEO claimed, devoid of giving certain quantities.

Income for 2019 totaled 858.8 billion yuan ($122.97 billon) when internet profit came in at 62.7 billion yuan. 

In response, Huawei offered off its funds Honor smartphone brand in November, a move that would permit that specific unit to survive and regain access to factors. Reuters noted in January that Huawei is also in talks to promote its premium Mate and P manufacturers of smartphones.

But Ren claimed Huawei would “under no circumstances” sell its smartphone business. He also reported that Huawei would not be investing in chip know-how.

— Correction: This write-up has been up-to-date to correctly reflect that Huawei’s revenue for 2019 totaled $122.97 billon. A previous edition of this story mentioned the erroneous 12 months.