Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has insisted that “there’s no way the US can crush” his company, responding to growing pressure from the United States urging allies to exclude Chinese 5G equipment.
The US has long taken a firm stance against Huawei that predates the Trump administration. In recent years, American policymakers have increased efforts to persuade allies to ban Huawei gear — a move critics link to broader trade and strategic tensions with China.
Ren made his remarks during an interview with the BBC, and also described the arrest of his daughter, Meng Wanzhou — Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer — as politically motivated. Meng was detained in Vancouver at the request of US authorities on allegations including bank fraud, money laundering, and the theft of trade secrets. US prosecutors allege she used a Huawei subsidiary to violate sanctions on Iran, while Meng and Huawei have denied that the subsidiary acted on behalf of the wider company.
“I’ll shut the company down”
5G technology raises heightened concerns compared with earlier generations because it will be used in critical systems such as smart cities, healthcare, and autonomous vehicles. That increased strategic importance has prompted several countries to carefully weigh security risks against the benefits of rapid 5G deployment.
Most officials acknowledge Huawei’s network equipment is technically advanced, and they warn that blocking the company could slow rollout, increase costs, and potentially require less capable alternatives. Ren emphasised Huawei’s global position, saying, “The world cannot leave us because we are more advanced. Even if they persuade more countries not to use us temporarily, we can always scale things down a bit.”
Huawei maintains it is not a security threat and denies being under the control of the Chinese government, as US officials claim. Company representatives argue that engaging in espionage would be self-destructive given Huawei’s reliance on global markets. “Our company will never undertake any spying activities,” Ren said. “If we have any such actions, then I’ll shut the company down.”
Nevertheless, concerns persist about Ren’s past connections to the Chinese Communist Party and his former service as a high-ranking officer in the People’s Liberation Army, which critics say complicates perceptions of Huawei’s independence.
US presses allies
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned allies that deploying Huawei technology could hinder intelligence and operational cooperation with Washington. That warning has put pressure on close partners like the UK, Canada, and other members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance to reassess procurement decisions.
The UK appears poised to allow Huawei a limited role in its 5G networks under strict controls. Since 2014 the UK has operated a Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) tasked with inspecting Huawei equipment for vulnerabilities and reporting findings annually.
For several years HCSEC conveyed confidence that risks could be mitigated. However, a more recent report identified shortcomings in Huawei’s engineering practices, resulting in the centre offering only “limited assurance” that the company’s mitigations were sufficient. Regulators criticised Huawei for being slow to address the issues raised.
Ren, however, expressed continued faith in the UK. “We still trust in the UK, and we hope that the UK will trust us even more,” he said. “If the US doesn’t trust us, then we will shift our investment from the US to the UK on an even bigger scale.”
Canada uses a comparable testing framework and has also debated the risks of relying on a smaller set of vendors for national 5G infrastructure. Canadian security officials have warned that reducing the number of suppliers may increase systemic vulnerability: if the equipment of one manufacturer is compromised, it could affect larger portions of the network.
In a rare press conference, Ren said Huawei is pursuing greater transparency to ease international concerns. He added the company would focus on markets that are willing to use its equipment and serve as “examples to prove we are trustworthy.”
(Photo by James Pond on Unsplash)
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