USA is afraid of this woman

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USA trembles. The reason is a sensitive personnel decision waiting at the Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Ironically, the daughter of Huawei company founder Ren Zhengfei (78), who was once targeted by the US judiciary, will take over the rotating chairmanship of the group for the first time on April 1. We are talking about Meng Wanzhou (51) who is currently CFO at Huawei.

A successor plan for Wanzhou and Zhengfei is being introduced, as informed circles of the German Press Agency in Beijing have reported. The company refused representation and stressed that it would adhere to the proven “collective management model”.

US warns of Huawei

Further elevation of the 51-year-old top management could increase political reservations against Huawei in the US. According to media reports, US President Joe Biden (80) is currently considering tightening sanctions against the company. Huawei may be denied access to semiconductors from key US suppliers such as Qualcomm or Intel. The United States claims it threatens national security.

But Beijing sees the sanctions as an attempt by the rival United States to slow China’s technological and political rise in the world. “Foreign attempts to suppress and contain China are increasing,” Prime Minister Li Keqiang said at the opening of the annual session of the People’s Congress in Beijing on Sunday. In order to stand on its own feet more in the face of headwinds, China is pushing technological innovations in every way.

Wanzhou held in Canada for three years

The daughter of the Huawei founder gained dubious international fame at the end of 2018. At the request of the US judiciary, the finance director was arrested in Canada on charges of bank fraud to circumvent sanctions against Iran. The feud turned into drama from the start when two Canadians were arrested on suspicion of espionage in China. Diplomats spoke of “hostage politics”.

The senior executive was placed under house arrest in Vancouver for three years and fought against extradition to the United States. In September 2021, Meng Wanzhou was able to return to his hometown, where he was hailed as a hero in exchange for the release of the two Canadians following a settlement with US prosecutors. The chapter only closed last December when US prosecutors dropped the case as agreed.

Huawei talks about “different roles”

Without giving a date, Huawei confirmed upon request that Meng Wanzhou will be the current chairman for six months this year, “in line with our well-known management structure”. Last year, the manager was promoted to the position of third executive for rotating chairmanship, along with Eric Xu and Ken Hu, who reportedly run the company “first and foremost”.

A company spokesperson emphasized that this is not a succession plan. Founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei and the three rotating presidents have “different roles”. The company has an advanced internal management structure, where all units have clear authorities and responsibilities and “operate under mutual control”. “The fate of the company cannot depend on a single individual, and governing bodies must follow the model of collective leadership.”

This is what’s behind the controversy

The US justifies the sanctions by Huawei’s links with Chinese officials and warns of the danger of espionage or sabotage. Among other things, the group’s access to the US operating system Android was cut off, which put a lot of pressure on the smartphone business. The extent to which the business inevitably changes was demonstrated at the major mobile communications trade fair in Barcelona (Spain), where Huawei is no longer offering new smartphones.

Huawei denies the allegations. Telecom equipment supplier has worked with more than 1,500 network operators in more than 170 countries and regions for over 30 years. “We have a proven track record in cybersecurity.” A discussion about network security is absolutely necessary, but a “country-of-origin assessment” is “discriminatory”.

With his vision, founder Ren Zhengfei transformed the company from a humble beginning into a global company. The question is whether his daughter can fill in his big footprints. In competition with the US, Huawei would rather be a technology company than a “geopolitical player”. (nim/SDA)

Source :Blick