huawei Board of Directors
Background Guide
CAHSMUN XIX
Letter from the Director
Dear members of the Huawei Board of Directors and Supervisory Board,
My name is David Xia, and I am currently a senior at St. George’s School. My Chairs Lawrence Li and
Harry Zhu constitute the rest of your Dais. At this iteration of CAHSMUN, I will join you as a non-voting
director of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
Model United Nations has been a rocky territory for me. The activity undoubtedly has its weaknesses,
such as overbearing complexities and inherent politics. However, from time to time, I find myself
reinvigorated by sparks of joy, and I am behooved to seize them. Most notably, I realize that MUN can be
a platform to propel transparency and justice. This committee, unique to CAHSMUN, is an opportunity
for delegates to apply the concept of justice in the geopolitical and business spheres.
I spend the most of my time by my piano to experiment with playing classical music in jazz. You can also
expect to find me binge-watching Sidemen videos, trying to convince others that NIO is better than Tesla,
ending arguments by using Pyrrhonist skepticism, and writing a poem a day before bed. Above all, I most
treasure finding connections between seemingly disparate fields. Perhaps, it is that goal of finding
harmony that brings me to peace.
Huawei will undoubtedly serve as a challenge for many of you, but fret not. I am beyond certain that this
committee will be fruitful for all to grasp a better understanding of rhetoric, geopolitics, business, and
spontaneous thinking. Prepare well, and please feel free to reach out to the Dais team at
huawei@cahsmun.org. Lawrence, Harry, and I wish you all the best.
See you soon!
David Xia
Director of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. — CAHSMUN 2023
Committee Description
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. is a Shenzhen-based multinational technology corporation. With
approximately 195,000 employees, the company works to provide accessible information and
communications technology (ICT) infrastructure to over three billion people worldwide.1
Figure 1: A snapshot of Huawei’s fundamental statistics. 2
Huawei is an employee-owned company. Of the shares of Huawei’s holding company, Huawei Investment
& Holding, approximately 1% of shares fall under Ren Zhengfei, the founder, while a trade union
committee controls the remainder.3
The company’s governance organization comprises a Board of Directors and Supervisory Board. The
Board of Directors is Huawei’s decision-making body that is responsible for corporate strategy, operations
management, and customer satisfaction. It also is responsible for preserving the interests of customers and
shareholders. The Supervisory Board acts as the organ of insight on behalf of shareholders. Its members
oversee the company’s survival, development, and long-term goals.4
This committee is set in the present day, and you serve either on Huawei’s Board of Directors or
Supervisory Board. Delegates are responsible for the everyday decision-making of this multinational
enterprise, with issues ranging from pursuing globalization, countering American-led accusations of
security compromises, and offering the high quality, efficient telecommunications products and services
to customers—whether individuals, corporations, or governments—worldwide.
1
https://www.huawei.com/en/corporate-information.
Ibid.
3
NB: a trade union committee is not synonymous with a traditional trade union. Here, the union refers to a
committee that represents the interests of the company’s employees.
4
https://www.huawei.com/en/corporate-governance.
2
Timeline
1978 — Deng Xiaoping’s Four Modernizations program—those of agriculture, industry, defence, and
science and technology—is officially launched with the goal of reviving the Chinese economy.5
September 15, 1987 — Amidst the encouragement of innovation, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. is
founded in Shenzhen by Ren Zhengfei, a former engineering officer in the People’s Liberation Army
(PLA).6
1994 — Huawei lands an important contract with the PLA to build the first national telecommunications
network.7
1999 — A research and development (R&D) centre is established in Bangalore, India.8
2000 — An R&D centre is opened in Stockholm, Sweden. 9
2001 — Four R&D centres are founded in the United States.10
2004 — Huawei obtains its first major contract—valued at over $2 million USD—in Europe with Dutch
operator Telfort.11
2004 — Huawei signs a $10 billion USD credit line with China Development Bank to provide low-cost
financing to customers buying its telecommunications equipment. This line of credit would triple to $30
billion USD in 2009.12
2005 — International sales exceed domestic sales for the first time.13
2005 — Huawei signs a Global Framework Agreement with Vodafone, a British multinational
telecommunications company, and it selects Huawei as a preferred telecoms equipment supplier.14
2005 — Huawei signs a contract with British Telecom to provide multi-service network access (MSAN)
components and optical transmission equipment, and it selects Huawei as a preferred 21Century Network
(21CN) supplier.15
5
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Four-Modernizations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huawei.
7
Ibid.
8
https://www.huawei.com/en/corporate-information.
9
Ibid.
10
Ibid.
11
Ibid.
12
https://phys.org/news/2019-05-huawei-key-beneficiary-china-subsidies.html.
13
Ibid.
14
Ibid.
15
Ibid.
6
2009 — Huawei debuts its first Android smartphone at the Mobile World Congress. 16
2010 — For the first time, Huawei is included in the Global Fortune 500 list published by Fortune for
annual sales of $21.8 billion USD and net profit of $2.67 billion USD.17
2012 — Huawei partners with customers in 33 countries in cloud computing and builds the world’s
largest desktop cloud system, used by around 70,000 employees every day.18
2013 — As a major facilitator of the European Union’s 5G projects and a founding member of the 5G
Innovation Centre (5GIC) in the United Kingdom, Huawei releases a 5G white paper, builds a global 5G
ecosystem, and carries out joint research with more than 20 universities worldwide.19
2013 — Honor is founded as a sub-brand of Huawei aimed at competing with other mid-range
smartphones.20
2014 — Huawei establishes 5G technology R&D centers in nine countries, constructs 186 commercial
networks globally using 400G core routers, builds more than 480 data centres, among which over 160 are
cloud data centers. As well, Huawei is operating 45 global training centres while running over 20 service
operation centres globally.21
2015 — Huawei remains as the top patent applicant for the second year in a row, with 3,898 applications,
according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.22
2015 — Huawei’s long-term evolution (LTE) networks cover more than 140 capital cities.23
2015 — Huawei ships more than 100 million smartphones, ranking third in the 2015 global smartphone
market and first in terms of market share in the Chinese smartphone market.24
2016 — Huawei supports the stable operations of more than 1,500 networks in over 170 countries and
regions, while serving over one-third of the world’s population.25
2016 — Huawei’s Smart City solutions—a method for integrating planning, operations support,
optimization, talent development, and project management—are in use in more than 100 cities in over 40
countries. Huawei drafts nine national standards for Smart Cities in China and serves more than 800
million people in more than 200 cities across over 80 countries and regions.26
16
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/mobile-world-congress-2009-the-rumours-begin/.
https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2010/snapshots/11397.html.
18
Ibid.
19
Ibid.
20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_(brand).
21
Ibid.
22
Ibid.
23
Ibid.
24
Ibid.
25
Ibid.
26
Ibid.
17
2017 — Huawei releases the Mate 10, the first smartphone with an embedded artificial intelligence (AI)
chipset.27
2018 — The U.S. Pentagon bans Huawei and ZTE (another Chinese telecommunications company) phone
sales on military bases.28
2018 — Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou is detained at the Vancouver International Airport by
Canadian authorities on order by the United States alleging business deals amidst sanctions with Iran.29
2018 — The company surpasses $100 billion USD in annual revenue for the first time.30
2018 — Huawei surpasses Apple to become the second largest smartphone vendor in the world—after
Samsung.31
2019 — Huawei is indicted for theft of trade secrets, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice by the U.S.
Department of Justice.32
2019 — Huawei announces the Mate X, a foldable 5G smartphone.33
2019 — Against pressure from the U.S., German Chancellor Angela Merkel pushes forth with the rollout
of Huawei’s 5G technologies in Germany.34
2019 — U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order that lays the groundwork for blocking
Chinese telecommunications companies like Huawei, and the company receives a 90-day reprieve that
allows them to continue business with American companies. 35
2019 — Over 700 cities and 228 Fortune Global 500 companies are partnered with Huawei on digital
transformation.36
27
Ibid.
https://www.cnet.com/news/pentagon-reportedly-bans-sale-of-huawei-and-zte-phones-on-us-military-bases/.
29
https://www.cnet.com/news/huawei-executive-arrested-by-canadian-officials-at-us-request/.
30
Ibid.
28
31
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/aug/01/huawei-beats-apple-smartphone-manufacturer-samsung-ipho
ne.
32
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47036515.
33
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/10/23/20928258/huawei-mate-x-release-date-price-china.
34
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-19/merkel-takes-a-stand-against-u-s-pressure-to-bar-huawei-fro
m-5g.
35
https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/all-articles/17-regulations/1555-addition-of-certain-entities-to-the-entity-list-fina
l-rule-effective-may-16-2019.
36
Ibid.
2020 — Huawei attains over 1 billion connected Huawei devices globally and over 730 million Huawei
smartphone users.37
2020 — Huawei becomes the world’s top smartphone seller.38
2021 — Huawei’s HarmonyOS, its own intelligent operating system launched in 2019, is deployed on
more than 220 million devices, making it the world’s fastest-growing mobile device operating system.39
2021 — By the end of the third quarter, Huawei’s revenues drop 32% due to sanctions.40
2022 — By the end of the third quarter, Huawei’s revenues drop a further 19.7%.41
Today — This committee commences.
Projects and Existing Products
N.B. Delegates are encouraged to propose products and/or improvements based on some or all of the
links provided. Please brainstorm innovations upon reviewing the flagship products’ specifications. It is
expected that delegates have at least a basic understanding of Huawei’s flagship products.
Consumer
Smartphones including: Mate 50 Pro (part of the Mate series, which is often positioned for early
adopters), P50 Pro Pocket (part of the P series, which is the mainstream, flagship line), nova 10 Pro
(mid-tier), and Y9a (low-end).
For the full smartphone product line and technical specifications, please visit:
https://consumer.huawei.com/en/phones/.
In 2013, Huawei founded the smartphone brand Honor, which was designed to compete with
mid-range online brands and to elevate Huawei-branded phones as more premium. However, in
2020, to ensure the survival of the parent company Huawei after U.S. sanctions restricting the
selling of American smartphone parts to Huawei, Honor was sold to a Shenzhen state-owned
enterprise.42 To this day, many features of Huawei phones can still be seen in Honor devices even
though the latter’s access to Huawei’s IP had been cut off. 43
37
Ibid.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/30/tech/huawei-samsung-q2-hnk-intl/index.html.
39
Ibid.
40
https://www.barrons.com/news/huawei-revenue-down-2-2-in-first-three-quarters-of-2022-01666860609.
41
https://technode.com/2022/10/28/huawei-generates-19-95-billion-in-2022-q3-as-profit-falls/.
42
https://www.engadget.com/huawei-honor-sold-024435704.html.
43
https://www.wired.com/story/honor-huawei-smartphones-separation/.
38
Pioneering the 5G mobile standard, in 2022, Huawei held the highest market share of
smartphones in China, whilst globally, the company now only accounts for 5.29%.44 45 This is still
a sharp decline from the Q2 2020 global market share Huawei held of 20%—above Samsung
(19.5%) and Apple (13.5%). 46
Laptops, Monitors, Desktops, and TVs including: MateBook X Pro, MateView GT, MateStation X, Vision
S, business products like the MateBook B7 and MateStation B520.
Laptops: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/laptops/.
Monitors: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/monitors/.
Desktops: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/desktops/.
Products for businesses: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/business/products-and-solutions/.
TVs: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/visions/s/.
Tablets including: MatePad Pro, and MatePad Paper.
Tablets: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/tablets/.
Wearables and Headphones including: WATCH GT 3 Pro Titanium / WATCH GT 3 Pro Ceramic,
TalkBand B6, Eyewear, FreeBuds Pro 2, FreeBuds Lipstick.
Wearables: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/wearables/.
Headphones: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/headphones/.
Routers including: WiFi Mesh 7, WiFi AX3 Pro, 5G CPE Pro 2.
Routers: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/routers/.
Automobile:
Aito M5
The Aito M5 is an all-electric, extended range crossover SUV developed by Seres, a subsidiary of
Chongqing Sokon Industry Group, in collaboration with Huawei.47 Aito M5 uses Huawei’s
HarmonyOS and DriveONE, a system that applies big data, cloud computing, and AI into EV
drive control, battery safety, and fault detection.48
44
https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/smartphone-market-share-in-china.
45
https://www.oberlo.ca/statistics/smartphone-market-share#:~:text=Apple%20and%20Samsung%20dominate%20the,
immensely%20popular%20in%20the%202000s.
46
https://www.statista.com/statistics/271496/global-market-share-held-by-smartphone-vendors-since-4th-quarter-2009
/.
47
https://www.huaweicentral.com/huawei-smart-selection-aito-m5-surpassed-6000-orders/.
48
https://digitalpower.huawei.com/en/DriveONE/.
Software:
EMUI 13
EMUI is a mobile operating system used on smartphones and tablets. It is derived from Android
through the Android Open Source Project. Since the U.S. sanctions that bar American companies
from doing business with Huawei were established, the company’s new EMUI smartphones have
no longer been certified by Google, and they have lost access to the Google Mobile Services. As
an alternative, Huawei released Huawei Mobile Services (e.g. the AppGallery to replace Google
Play).49
Explore EMUI 13, the latest version: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/emui-13/.
HarmonyOS 3
HarmonyOS is a distributed operating system whose interface is largely based on the
Android-sourced EMUI. The latest iteration of the system allows for a smoother experience
across Huawei devices like smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, printers, and automobiles. The
HarmonyOS system is particularly prevalent in the Aito M5 through continuous AI learning
optimization and upgrades. In 2022, Huawei also launched Petal Chuxing, a ride-hailing platform
running on HarmonyOS.50 Currently, the HarmonyOS system is only available in the Chinese
market.
Explore HarmonyOS 3: https://www.harmonyos.com/en/.
Enterprise
Huawei’s Enterprise Business Group is concentrated on aiding different industries in adapting to an
increasingly digital and AI-centric world. Using its Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
infrastructure, Huawei hopes to transform industries to foster a digital ecosystem that allows joint
innovation, shared resources, and shared success. In fact, by the end of 2021, 267 Fortune Global 500
companies and over 700 cities globally have chosen Huawei as their preferred partner for digital
transformation.51 By the same time, the company also released over 100 scenario-based solutions to
problems across over ten industries.52
Some unique solutions offered in Huawei Enterprise include:
Huawei Remote Medical Solution
49
https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/19/20873690/huawei-mate-30-series-phones-google-android-ban-apps-block.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/huawei-launches-updated-operating-system-093000179.html.
51
https://e.huawei.com/en/about/huawei-enterprise.
52
Ibid.
50
Operating on 4k and 5G technologies, Huawei’s remote medical solution aids in epidemic
prevention and control. It offers remote commands, consultation, monitoring, medical teaching,
and digital ward visits via a teleconference.53
Industry Operation Support Service
Focusing on technical support, network optimization, and performance management, Huawei aids
businesses in maintaining healthy ICT infrastructure—ranging from security measures to asset
management.54
Areas that Huawei has served in achieving digital transformation include 50 of the world’s top 100 banks,
700+ intelligent cities, 1,700+ hospitals, 2,800+ universities and research institutes, 190+ electric power
enterprises, 600+ intelligent campuses, 130,000+ km of railway lines, 2,200+ internet companies, 100+
airports, 6,000 manufacturing enterprises, 100 ports, 17 of the world’s top 20 oil and gas enterprises,
38,000+ km of oil and gas pipelines, and 300+ urban rail lines.55
Carrier
Over three billion people in 170+ countries are connected through Huawei ICT infrastructure and other
services. Huawei provides wireless networks, cloud core networks, fixed networks, software, and network
energy solutions that are in turn deployed by telecommunications carriers across the globe.
5G
Huawei is recognized as a global pioneer in widespread 5G infrastructure. From 2009 to 2013, the
company poured over $600 million USD into 5G research. From 2017 to 2018, Huawei invested
almost $1.4 billion USD into its product development.56 In 2019, Huawei’s communications
technologies—through China Telecom’s 5G system—helped the Beijing Jishuitan Hospital
perform the world’s first remote robotic surgery.57 5G’s uses are vast and can be applied in
manufacturing, tourism, public transport, new media, education, logistics, and hotel
management.58
For a full list of Carrier products and solutions, please visit: https://carrier.huawei.com/en/.
53
https://e.huawei.com/en/solutions/enterprise-collaboration/telemedicine.
https://e.huawei.com/en/solutions/services/o-m-operation-support-service.
55
Ibid.
56
https://carrier.huawei.com/en/spotlight/5g.
57
https://carrier.huawei.com/en/success-stories/Industries-5G/Medical/beijing.
58
https://carrier.huawei.com/en/Industries-5G.
54
Current Situation
Meng Wanzhou Extradition Case
The U.S. government has always seen Huawei as a threat to its national security. In 2014, Edward
Snowden reported that the US National Security Agency (NSA) had been operating a covert operation
against Huawei since 2007. Snowden outlined how the NSA broke into internal systems, including
Huawei’s headquarter’s networks and Ren Zhengfei’s communications.59
The major point of no return came on December 1, 2018, when following a New York warrant in August,
Canadian police arrested Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou at the order of the Trump
administration. Consequently, Meng was facing extradition to the States. On December 10, Canadians
Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were detained on grounds of espionage.60 On January 26, Canadian
Ambassador to China John McCallum was fired by the Trudeau government after he declared that it
would be “great for Canada” if the U.S. dropped the extradition request.61 Two days later, the Trump
administration formally indicted Meng and Huawei with 13 counts of bank and wire fraud—as the
American government claimed that Huawei had conducted technology sales to Iran, which was under
sanctions by the U.S.—obstruction of justice, and misappropriation of trade secrets.62 On September 24,
2021, Meng reached a deferred prosecution agreement, in which she agreed to say that she made
misleading statements to HSBC in order to transact business with Iran, but she did not have to plead
guilty to the fraud charges.63 On the same day, she returned home to China, and soon after, all charges
against her were dropped. The two Michaels are also allowed to return to Canada.64
Bans — American Accusations of Security Concerns
In Europe, with American pressure, many governments are also gradually phasing out Huawei’s
infrastructure. However, Europe has largely been hesitant toward American pressures as over 50% of 5G
equipment in 31 European countries are from Chinese vendors, most notably Huawei.65 In the U.S.
domestically, the Trump administration added Huawei to an export blacklist (called the Entity List) in
2019. President Biden is now using an even more aggressive approach in an effort to outcompete China’s
rapid economic growth.66
Furthermore, Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, a $52.7 billion USD policy aimed at increasing
research, supply chain independence, and semiconductor production in the United States. China has
59
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/23/world/asia/nsa-breached-chinese-servers-seen-as-spy-peril.html.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/meng-wanzhou-huawei-kovrig-spavor-1.6188472.
61
Ibid.
62
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47036515.
60
63
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-huaweis-meng-to-resolve-fraud-case-in-plea-deal-that-does-not-in
clude/.
64
Ibid.
65
https://cepa.org/article/ban-huawei-not-europe/.
66
https://www.voanews.com/a/huawei-latest-target-of-us-crackdown-on-china-tech/6942032.html.
criticized the Act as a tool similar to those employed during the Cold War. 67 European countries have also
accused the Biden administration of protectionism as this Act lessens the competitiveness of European
chips.68 Huawei, in response, is reported to be developing its own 12-nm and 14-nm chips with its design
unit HiSilicon.69 Prior to 2020, Huawei had used its Kirin chip, but sanctions made that impossible since
HiSilicon is a fabless semiconductor subsidiary of Huawei.70 However, the company has not released any
official statement regarding the progress of their chip design.
On a more global scale, all members of the Five-Eyes intelligence organization—U.S., Canada, U.K.,
Australia, and New Zealand—have now banned Huawei and ZTE, another major Chinese
telecommunications company, from their 5G networks. Existing infrastructure must be removed.71
Germany, in particular, is resistant to U.S. pressure as 59% of 5G radio access network comes from
Chinese vendors, of which Huawei holds the largest share, and the country alone accounts for 25% of
European mobile consumers. Germany’s largest communications operator of such networks, Deutsche
Telekom, maintains a strategic partnership with Huawei as the Germany government has opposed banning
Huawei. Perhaps, after the United States and NATO pushed to sever German-Russian ties with the
conflict in Ukraine and the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, Germany does not want a repeat of energy
woes in the field of communications—this time, with Huawei and ZTE.72
Macron’s France has also been resistant toward Biden’s pressures of banning Huawei. Though France has
put in safeguards for the usage of Chinese vendors, the country has rejected banning the corporation
altogether.73 The United Kingdom, on the other hand, has banned Huawei from gaining new contracts, and
the government has ordered the removal of all of the company’s equipment and services, the deadline for
which has been pushed back to the end of 2023 at the urging of British Telecom. The deadline for the
removal of all Huawei 5G infrastructure is in 2027.74
67
https://www.asiafinancial.com/china-says-us-chip-act-will-harm-supply-chain-global-trade.
68
https://www.brookings.edu/techstream/bringing-economics-back-into-the-politics-of-the-eu-and-u-s-chips-acts-china
-semiconductor-competition/.
69
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/20/1100324929/canada-bans-chinas-huawei-technologies-from-5g-networks.
70
https://www.hisilicon.com/en/about-us/company.
71
Ibid.
72
https://cepa.org/article/ban-huawei-not-europe/.
73
Ibid.
74
Ibid.
Figure 2: Percentage of 5G radio access network infrastructure with Chinese vendors in major European
countries.75
Huawei’s cloud services have also attracted foreign governments. As of 2021, there were about 70
agreements in 41 countries, 72% of which were from middle-income countries, such as Mexico and
Malaysia.76
Huawei is also actively partnered with universities and research institutes worldwide. The company
usually partakes in research programs and acts as a sponsor. In Canada, for example, the University of
Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, Carleton University, University of Calgary,
and the University of Waterloo are among the roughly 20 higher-learning institutions partnered with
Huawei. Even with the government’s ban on Huawei’s 5G equipment, these universities have no plans to
sever ties with the company. For instance, the University of British Columbia reports that it received $6.3
million CAD in funding from Huawei in 2022 and engaged in 24 research projects with the company.77
75
76
Ibid.
https://www.axios.com/2021/05/18/huaweis-cloud-services-find-government-buyers.
77
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-huawei-still-benefits-from-canadian-university-research-despite-5
g-ban/.
Alleged Connections with the People’s Liberation Army and Chinese Government
Some sources claim that many Huawei staff, especially mid-level technicians, have associations with the
Chinese government and the People’s Liberation Army. Huawei has been accused of being responsible for
conducting espionage and counter-intelligence through the company’s products and networks. Hu Xijin,
the editor-in-chief of the Global Times newspaper, has explained that it is a common phenomenon for
ex-military personnel to join private companies like Huawei. Yet, many Western governments use these
“dual positions” as part of the justification for banning Huawei.78 China and Huawei have unequivocally
denied such allegations.
Portfolio Overviews
NB: (1) As this committee is a combination of two boards, delegates should feel free to discuss ideas that
do not fully pertain to their positions. The success of the committee, in part, depends on the creativity of
the delegates in acting as Huawei’s executives. This Portfolio Overviews section should only be a
reference for the capabilities of each delegate. Specific initiatives and interests will not be discussed here
as this is not a conventional committee. If there is not much description written for a certain portfolio,
that means the scope of that individual’s position is broad, so there is more room for improvisation. (2)
The three Rotating Chairs rotate in this capacity for one committee session each. When acting in this role,
the delegate shares the “joint veto” power with the Chairman of the Board, which means that if both the
Chairman of the Board and incumbent Rotating Chairman opt to reject a proposal, they have the
authority to veto it—with approval from the Dais.
Board of Directors
Liang Hua (Howard Liang) – Chairman of the Board
As the Chairman of the Board, Liang Hua is responsible for the successful running of the
company. He is accountable for the shareholders of Huawei and consumers of its products.
Specifically, Liang specializes in supply chain management.
Xu Zhijun (Eric Xu) — Deputy Chairman of the Board, Rotating Chairman of Huawei
Apart from his responsibilities as Deputy Chairman and Rotating Chairman, Xu Zhijun
specializes in the marketing of Huawei’s products and services—both domestically in China and
abroad.
Hu Houkun (Ken Hu) — Deputy Chairman of the Board, Rotating Chairman of Huawei
Hu Houkun presides over the globalization of the company, particularly regarding sales. Whether
or not Huawei should embrace deglobalization and American protectionism is a question Hu
should consider.
78
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/08/huawei-staff-and-chinese-military-have-deep-links-study-claims.html.
Meng Wanzhou (Sabrina Meng) — Deputy Chairwoman of the Board, Rotating Chairwoman of
Huawei, CFO
Largely responsible for Huawei’s digital transformation and improved operations management,
Meng Wanzhou is at the heart of debates surrounding the company. As the CFO, Meng is
responsible for ensuring Huawei’s financial wellbeing. All monetary decisions must be approved
by her.
Wang Tao (David Wang) — Executive Director of the Board, Chairman of the Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) Infrastructure Managing Board, President of the Enterprise Business
Group, and Chairman of the Investment Review Board
As chairman of the ICT Infrastructure Managing Board, Wang Tao is in charge of a major
component of Huawei’s business. He is responsible for connecting with enterprises to establish
the company’s ICT networks. As Chairman of the Investment Review Board, all investments
undertaken by Huawei must be approved by Wang.
Yu Chengdong (Richard Yu) — Executive Director of the Board, CEO of the Consumer Business
Group, CEO of the Intelligent Automotive Solution Business Unit, Director of the Investment Review
Board for Smart Devices and Intelligent Automotive Components
As the CEO of the Consumer Business Group, Yu Chengdong leads the product line of mobile
devices, laptops, wearables, and other consumer devices. Whether or not the Consumer Business
Group should still be a focus of the company is a question to consider for Yu. As the CEO of the
Intelligent Automotive Solution Business Unit, Yu is also responsible for the development of
Huawei’s relatively new automotive sector.
Xu Wenwei (William Xu) — Director, Chair of the Scientist Advisory Committee
As the Chair of the Scientist Advisory Committee, Xu Wenwei can point out technical boundaries
of proposals made. Research and development of projects requiring scientific and engineering
efforts are to be passed by Xu.
He Tingbo (Teresa He) — Director, President of HiSilicon, President of Technology of the 2012
Laboratories, Chair of Huawei Scientist Committee
As the President of HiSilicon, He Tingbo is uniquely responsible for the development of
Huawei’s own chips following U.S. bans—should the committee pursue this path. The
development of confidential projects also requires the approval of He.
Ren Zhengfei — Founder, Director, CEO
Ren Zhengfei is not just the founder and CEO of Huawei, but he is also the central figure tying
the company together. As the CEO, Ren’s engineering background positions him to be able to
lead Huawei to continue its path as a technological superpower. In the Board of Directors, Ren is
also responsible for convincing the Chairmen of his proposals and any that he deems important.
Tao Jingwen — Director, President of the Quality, Business Process, and IT Management Department
Tao Jingwen is responsible for the high standards of quality that Huawei sets in its consumer,
enterprise, and carrier products and services. Tao is the point of contact should users and
governments find faults in the company’s offerings.
Li Jianguo — Director, President of the Manufacturing Department
As the President of the Manufacturing Department, Li Jianguo is most focused on the company’s
ability to manufacture its own materials even amid current geopolitical tensions or, if the Board
pleases, the company’s ability to establish a global supply chain.
Peng Bo (Vincent Peng) — Director, Vice President of the Public Affairs and Communications
Department, President of the Corporate Communications Department
As the President of the Corporate Communications Department, Peng Bo serves as a point of
contact for enterprises. It is Peng’s responsibility to ensure that Huawei increases its network in
enterprises and that it secures the partnerships Huawei deems necessary.
Supervisory Board
Guo Ping — Chairman of the Supervisory Board
As the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Guo Ping is responsible for the overall business
strategy of the company. Additionally, Guo is able to suspend members—for a time decided by
the Dais—should he justify an instance of ethical misconduct. He can also issue reprimands as he
sees fit.
Ding Yun (Ryan Ding) — Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board, President of the Corporate
Leadership Management Department, President of the Enterprise Business Group, President of the Carrier
Business Group
As the President of the Corporate Leadership Management Department, Ding Yun serves as the
voice of unity within the company. Ding is responsible for ensuring that the company’s trajectory
is clear and followed by every member of the committee.
Chen Lifang (Catherine Chen) — Executive Member of the Supervisory Board, President of the Public
Affairs and Communications Department, and Corporate Senior Vice President
As the President of the Public Affairs and Communications Department, Chen Lifang is the
public relations voice of Huawei. At the end of every committee session, Chen Lifang will be
required to summarize that session’s proposals to the press—which, for the most part, consists of
the Dais.
Yao Fuhai — Executive Member of the Supervisory Board, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Director of the
Group Procurement Management Committee
As the Chief Supply Chain Officer, Yao Fuhai is responsible for the preservation and efficiency of
Huawei’s supply chain. Yao is to respond to all potential disruptions to the supply chain,
including geopolitical reasons and those beyond human control—like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Li Yingtao — Executive Member of the Supervisory Board, President of Administration of the 2012
Laboratories
As the President of 2012 Laboratories, the rather secretive general research organization of the
company, Li Yingtao is the senior-most member in research and development (R&D) at Huawei.
Major new research project proposals are to be reviewed by him.
Song Liuping — Member of the Supervisory Board, Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer
Song Liuping, as the Chief Legal Officer, is responsible for preventing Huawei from entering
legal disputes, and should they arise, defending the company and resolving the crisis. As the
Chief Compliance Officer, Song is accountable toward financial and political authorities to ensure
the legal and ethical running of the company.
Ren Shulu (Steven Ren) — Member of the Supervisory Board, Chief Logistics Officer
As the Chief Logistics Officer, Ren Shulu is responsible for the management of staff and the
supply chain to ensure the smooth operation of the company. Ren is responsible for coordinating
projects to ensure they are delivered on time and cost-efficiently.
Yang Li — Member of the Supervisory Board, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, Director of the
Committee of Ethics and Compliance
As the Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, Yang Li is responsible for assessing the ethical
behaviour of members of both boards. He is able to issue reprimands when he considers them
necessary.
Discussion Questions
1. How will Huawei navigate the worst case scenario of complete deglobalization? Can Huawei
survive off domestic sourcing of parts?
2. Should consumer products still be a focus for Huawei? How does this sector compare with the
company’s other Business Groups?
3. How valuable is ending the China-U.S. trade war for Huawei’s business? Is attempting to re-enter
markets where it is currently banned or being banned worth it?
4. What new areas of communication (or industries) should Huawei explore? New partnerships?
5. What are the merits and drawbacks of pursuing a relationship with the Chinese government?
Additional Resources
Huawei’s 2021 Annual Report (refer to document pages 150-151 for an assessment of risks):
https://www-file.huawei.com/minisite/media/annual_report/annual_report_2021_en.pdf?version=0401.
An opinion piece by Columbia Professor Jeffrey Sachs on context for Meng Wanzhou’s arrest:
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trump-war-on-huawei-meng-wanzhou-arrest-by-jeffrey-dsachs-2018-12.
An explanation of the Huawei ban by Marques Brownlee:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZGpmWrVSaU.
The background of Ren Zhengfei, Huawei’s founder:
https://uscnpm.org/who-is-ren-zhengfei/#:~:text=After%20graduating%20from%20university%2C%20Re
n,lastly%20as%20a%20Deputy%20Director.
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