Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei attends a dialogue at the Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, June 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Business leaders and politicians worldwide will gather in Davos, Switzerland, next week. Ren Zhengfei, founder of Chinese tech giant Huawei, is set to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) and is expected to meet European officials and business representatives, analysts said, as Europe has become a major battlefield amid an escalating China-US technology war. 

The 75-year-old Chinese entrepreneur is scheduled to speak at a panel titled, "A Future Shaped by a Technology Arms Race" on January 21, according to the WEF on its official website. Other key figures who will be present at the annual meeting include US President Donald Trump, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

Ren attended the Davos forum in 2015 and spoke about his vision for technology. His presence at the forum this year will be crucial as Europe has become a major battleground in the ongoing China-US tech war, particularly amid heated overseas debate about whether or not to ban Huawei's 5G technology, analysts and sources close to the matter said. 

The Trump administration, which has been pressuring European countries to reject Huawei, has recently sent a new delegation to the UK to warn the British government that it "would be madness" to use Huawei technology in the UK's 5G network, according to media reports. However, MI5 Director General Andrew Parker expressed his willingness to allow the Chinese company to bid for the UK's 5G network contract, revealing the two allies in the Five Eye alliance have differing views on the matter. 

It's still unknown if Ren will meet officials next week in Davos. However, sources close to the matter told the Global Times on Wednesday that it's unlikely the Chinese CEO will connect with US officials, as Washington has displayed a hostile attitude toward the rise of Chinese high-tech, and the upcoming phase one deal between China and the US won't ease the inflamed tech war between two countries. 

However, it is important for Ren to meet European representatives, Fang Xingdong, founder of Beijing-based technology think tank ChinaLabs, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "The European market is extremely important for Huawei now," he said, noting that although China and the US will soon reach a phase one trade agreement, the US government won't ease its restrictions on high-tech exports to China. 

Despite US best efforts to pressure British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his decision regarding Huawei, it appears London's position has not changed — any risks can be managed, Huawei said in a recent tweet. Additionally, Merkel is also in favor of allowing the Chinese company to supply components for Germany's 5G internet. 

"Will Ren meet Trump at Davos 2020?" has become a trending topic on China's Twitter-like Weibo. Some Chinese netizens have suggested Ren could talk to Trump face-to-face and ask him to release Meng Wanzhou, Ren's daughter who had been detained in Canada for over a year at the US government's request.


Newspaper headline: Why is Huawei’s founder Zhengfei going to Davos this year and who he will meet?