SHENZHEN, China -- The founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei said Tuesday that he expects no relief from U.S. restrictions because of the political climate in Washington, but he expressed confidence that the company will thrive because it is developing its own technology.
Ren Zhengfei also said he doesn't want relief from U.S. sanctions if it requires China to make concessions in a tariff war, even if that means his daughter, who is under house arrest in Canada on U.S. criminal charges, faces a longer legal struggle.
In an interview at Huawei's headquarters in the southern city of Shenzhen, the 74-year-old Ren said the company expects U.S. curbs on most technology sales to go ahead despite Monday's announcement of a second 90-day delay. He said no one in Washington would risk standing up for the company.
The biggest effect will be on American vendors that sell chips and other components to Huawei, the biggest maker of network gear for phone companies, he said.
The U.S. has placed Huawei on an "entity list" of foreign companies that require official permission to buy American technology.
"Whether the entity list is extended or not, that will not have a substantial impact on Huawei's business," said Ren. "We can do well without relying on American companies."
Huawei Technologies Ltd., China's first global tech brand, is at the center of a battle over trade and technology. American officials accuse the company, also the No. 2 global smartphone brand, of stealing technology and facilitating Chinese spying. Huawei denies those accusations.
Huawei's chief financial officer, who is also Ren's daughter, is fighting extradition from Canada to the U.S., where she would face charges of violating trade sanctions on Iran. Beijing arrested two Canadians in a possible attempt to force her release.
Ren spoke at a palatial new building where Huawei entertains customers. The atmosphere was a striking contrast from a June 17 news conference at which Ren compared the company to a "badly damaged airplane" and warned that U.S. sanctions would cut Huawei's projected smartphone sales by $30 billion over the next two years.
President Donald Trump has suggested that controls on Huawei might be lifted if Beijing agrees to a deal on trade and technology disputes that led to U.S. tariff increases on Chinese imports.
Ren rejected that idea. He said Huawei couldn't ask for favors that might hurt the interests of China's poor majority.
"I couldn't take it if those poor people sacrificed their own interests for the benefit of Huawei," Ren said. "Maybe my daughter will suffer more. But I would rather do that instead having the poorer people in China sacrifice for Huawei's survival and development."
The May announcement of U.S. export curbs prompted warnings that sales of Huawei smartphones and other products that use U.S. chips and other technology could be devastated. The restrictions also could mean the loss of billions of dollars in annual sales for American vendors.
Even before the U.S.' announcement, Huawei was working to develop its own chips, software and other technology that might reduce reliance on American vendors. The company spent $15 billion last year on research and development, more than Apple Inc. or Microsoft Corp.
Huawei reported that sales in the six months through June rose 23.2% over the year before. The company's chairman, Liang Hua, said in July that Huawei was reviewing its core products to make sure they all could be delivered to customers without American components.
"At a strategic level, the U.S. entity list is helpful to Huawei," said Ren. He said the company has responded by eliminating "marginal, unimportant businesses or products" and focusing resources on "major products."
"The whole company can focus more on our most competitive products," he said.
This month, Huawei unveiled its own smartphone operating system that it said can replace the popular Android system from Alphabet Inc.'s Google. Huawei's phones still use Android, but Google is blocked from supporting maps, music and other services.
Earlier this year, Huawei released its own chip for next-generation smartphones and the first phone based on that chip.
Ren rarely appeared in public or talked to reporters before his daughter's December arrest. Since then, however, he has given a flurry of interviews to foreign reporters in an effort to repair the company's reputation.
"I think it's working," he said.
Asked about ongoing pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, which borders Shenzhen, Ren said the violence was "not good for society and the people" but that it doesn't affect Huawei.
"There is no impact at all on Huawei's business," he said. "We are still focused on our own production. We still focus on fixing the holes in our bullet-riddled airplane."
Ren, who has called himself a fan of the United States and has publicly praised Trump as a leader, said Huawei wants to retain technology collaboration with Google, Microsoft and other American developers.
Ren said a strong market position for Huawei will help U.S. companies because Huawei's products use American technology.
Business on 08/21/2019