Huawei founder confident of company’s ability to survive, report says – CNET [CNET]

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said Tuesday he’s confident the company will be able to endure current difficulties and survive, according to a Reuters report, in his first remarks since US President Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Ren said Huawei clocked positive growth for revenue and net profit last year and continues to witness “significant levels of confidence from its customers,” the report said.

Ren was speaking at a the sidelines of an event in the northern Chinese city of Taiyun, where the company launched a 5G mining project. 

The comments from the 76-year-old founder, which are his first public remarks since last February, come as Huawei’s mobile business struggles amid pressure from US sanctions levelled under the Trump administration. In the final quarter of 2020, Huawei’s mobile shipments plunged by 41% to 33 million, according to January report by Counterpoint Research, sending Huawei, once the world’s number one smartphone manufacturer, tumbling down to sixth place in global rankings.

Huawei didn’t immediately respond to a CNET request for comment.