Huawei’s founder and CEO Ren Zhengei has opened up about the ongoing US trade war, telling journalists that he would be against the idea of China sanctioning Apple.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, he said: “That will not happen, first of all. And second of all, if that happens, I’ll be the first to protest. Apple is my teacher [and] it is advancing in front of us. As a student, why should I oppose my teacher? I would never do that.”
Zhengei also praised Apple in his interview (translated), saying that “Apple is the world’s leading company,” and that, “if there were no Apple, there would be no mobile internet. If there was no Apple to help show us the world, we would not see the beauty of this world.”
Over the past couple of weeks, Huawei has faced significant challenges, with Google pulling support for Android on Huawei devices, the SD Association banning Huawei from using its SD branding on future devices, and the WiFi Alliance suspending Huawei’s membership in order to comply with the Department of Commerce’s actions against the company.
The blow comes at a time when Huawei was on track to becoming the world’s biggest technology company.
Earlier in the month, the Chinese technology brand overtook Apple to become the world’s second-largest smartphone maker, but as the company faces scrutiny regarding the security of its devices and accusations of fraud, it’s unlikely it will be able to hold on to its position – especially in Western markets where its products are being shunned.
Whilst some have argued that the news is good for US companies like Google and Apple, the news could actually damage Apple’s earnings, as China is likely to retaliate to Trump’s tariffs and orders.
Most parts of the iPhone come from China, and the device is assembled there, too, which could have a major impact on production, import tariffs, and cost.
“Should China restrict iPhone production in any way, we do not believe the company would be able to shift much iPhone volume outside of China on short notice, though actions that would push Apple production outside of China could have negative implications for the China tech ecosystem as well as for local employment,” an analyst told USA Today last week.
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