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)

Huawei “stocks up talent, not US dollars”, founder and CEO of the Chinese technology giant Ren Zhengfei said in a recent speech to managerial staff in the company, vowing to build a top-caliber talent base amid ongoing ruthless crackdown by the Biden Administration.

In the speech, which was posted in Huawei's online community Xinsheng on Monday, Ren said Huawei's goal is to be the global leader in certain specific product areas instead of a broad range. 

"We should build a self-owned reserve base for high-end talent," said Ren. 

Ren pledged to further optimize the company's talent motivation mechanism, build a platform for talent in various sectors and boost innovation. 

Huawei on August 29 unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Mate 60 Pro, which some speculated is using a 5G capable chip. The phone marks a major breakthrough and serves as compelling evidence that Chinese high-tech firms can survive and get stronger despite US sanctions.

Amid Chinese netizens' excitement about the new phone, it also aroused discussion among foreign netizens. Some hailed Huawei's breakthrough and said it was "a slap in the face for the US," and others expressed confidence in China's push to avoid containment in the technology sector. 

One netizen named "CarlZha" on Thursday posted a video clip about disassembling a Huawei Mate 60 Pro on X (formerly Twitter), writing "100 percent Chinese-made components!" and adding that "US sanctions failed to kill Huawei!"

Another netizen on X named "Jayms Ong" said that "As a conscientious global citizen, I have consistently advocated for a perspective that shuns the path of a microchip and high-end technology embargo on China." 

"Jayms Ong" also said that the US ban on selling chips to Huawei has instead been a source of strength and determination for the company to push ahead with its own innovation.

A report by the Washington Post titled "New phone sparks worry China has found a way around US tech limits" said on Saturday that "such a development would seem to fulfill warnings from US chipmakers that sanctions wouldn't stop China, but would spur it to redouble efforts to build alternatives to US technology."

Notably, Huawei's Mate 60 Pro was unveiled during US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's visit to China. Some Chinese netizens said that the debut is the "best souvenir" for Raimondo, and a reminder to the US that it can't use restrictions as "bargaining chips" when conducting dialogue with China.

Global Times