A politically sensitive personnel decision is pending at the head of Chinese telecom giant Huawei. The daughter of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, the founder of a company once targeted by the US Justice Department, is set to take over as the group’s rotating chairman from April 1. Informed sources confirmed to the German Press Agency in Beijing that a succession plan for his 78-year-old father, Ren Zhengfei, should be launched.
The 51-year-old’s rise to top management could fuel massive political reservations in the US against Huawei. According to press reports, US President Joe Biden is currently considering tightening sanctions against the company. So Huawei could be completely denied access to semiconductors from important US suppliers like Qualcomm or Intel. The US raises security concerns, which Huawei dismisses as unfounded.
Allegation of “hostage policy”.
The daughter of the famous company’s founder became a key figure in the conflict with the United States when she was arrested in late 2018 at the request of the US Department of Justice on bank fraud charges to evade sanctions against Iran in Canada. Meng Wanzhou spent three years under house arrest in Vancouver and fought a legal battle against extradition to the United States.
China increased pressure on Canada by arresting two Canadians suspected of spying for China. Diplomats spoke of “hostage politics”. In September 2021, Meng Wanzhou was able to return to her homeland, where she was hailed as a heroine, after striking a deal with US prosecutors – in exchange for the release of two Canadians. The chapter closed last December when US attorneys asked a New York court to close the case.
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