President Trump continues to wage war on Huawei, China’s premier tech company. Mr. Trump kicked Huawei out of the U.S. tech world last May. American techies still need Huawei’s components so Trump put a 90-day license in place so American tech companies can still compete on the global 5G stage. That license expired, but the Commerce Department issued another 90-day license to appease the tech companies that depend on Huawei’s expertise.
Huawei didn’t fall apart when Trump banned the company. The opposite happened. The company moved its Research and Development operation to Canada and closed its office in the United States. Huawei’s CEO Ren Zhengfei decided he would continue to disprove Trump’s claim that his company spies for the Chinese government. Huawei does business in more than 170 countries, and the only country that claims Huawei is a spy is the United States.
Mr. Trump sent Mike Pompeo to Europe to bad-mouth Huawei and to let the EU know Huawei has spyware in its 5G platform. But Pompeo’s plea didn’t stop countries like Hungary, France, Germany, and Russia from signing up to use Huawei’s 5G platform in 2020. Even Trump’s pal Boris Johnson plans to use Huawei despite dire warnings from Trump and Pompeo.
Zhengfei opened Huawei’s global flagship store in Shenzhen in September. The store is Huawei’s first attempt to take Apple’s direct-sale concept one step beyond. Customers can experience 5G speed while they relax and meet with friends in the new store. The store offers customers free courses that range from photography to health care. Local artists are also part of the store’s appeal. Customers spend time painting or learning about art as well as meet one or more of the 120 experienced consultants who provide multi-language training in several fields of endeavor.
The Shenzhen global flagship store gives Huawei bragging rights in the tech world. Huawei sells more smartphones than Apple. The company plans to introduce the P40 and P40 Pro in Paris in 2020, and those phones may help the company pass Samsung in global smartphone sales even though Trump’s ban is still place. Huawei can’t use Google’s Mobile Services, so the P40 series will be the first phone to use Huawei’s new Harmony operating system.
The company continues to spend millions in ads that counter Trump’s spying claims in Europe as well as in Asia. The Chinese claim their values are more in line with European values, not Trump’s values. Belgium, the heart of the EU, also plans to use Huawei’s 5G services.
Dil Bole Oberoi
