Huawei has confirmed that it will not be sending a Chinese executive to this year's CES (Consumer Electronics Show) as China and the US clash amid trade disputes.
According to Nikkei Asian Review, Huawei stated that the Chinese tech giant "wants to stay low at CES." This decision came after the U.S. and China announced a 3-month trade truce that will end on March 1. Until an agreement is made between the economic giants, U.S. tariffs have a hold on Chinese goods worth $250 billion.
Despite the non-appearance of a Huawei executive, the Mate 20 Pro creator has unveiled a top-of-the-line Matebook13 laptop that comes with a Watch GT smart device. The tech giant also unveiled a new tablet, the MediaPad M5. Both the laptop and the tablet are set to arrive in the west sometime this year. No exact date has been announced yet.
Huawei's decision to lay low at CES 2019 is also believed to be affected not just by the trade dispute but also by the recent arrest of its chief financial officer. On the other hand, some experts have high hopes for the Chinese tech company. "Huawei's PC and tablet businesses have seen remarkably strong growth in the US," Geoff Blaber, CCS Insight analyst told CNET in an email.
Before the trade war, Chinese tech companies dominated the global market. Multiple outlets reported that some of these tech providers have dismissed workers due to the increasing pressure on the Chinese economy.
The CES is the biggest event in the tech industry and analysts believe Chinese providers are opting to shy away from the show due to the vulnerable background of the U.S.-China trade war.
Aside from Huawei, ZTE Corp. has announced that for the first time in six years, it will not attend the electronics exhibit. The company did not provide an explanation but this comes as a surprise to spectators who are looking forward to the new releases that the Axon M creator will display.
The CES directory further revealed that there was a 20 percent dip from last year's number of Chinese companies showing off their avant-garde products at the highly-anticipated show. On the contrary, JD.com and Meituan Dianping, among others, have opted to take part in the electronics fair, characterizing their strength in the face of a potential economic downfall due to the raging trade war between their country and the United States.
Trade talks commenced Monday while a trade truce lasting 90 days will end March.
