Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei has been forced out of his shell ever since his daughter and company chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada one year ago. He recalled in a recent interview the "suffering" his daughter went through.
It has been one year and one day since Wanzhou was arrested in Canada upon the request of the White House but for Ren, his daughter should be "proud." In an interview with CNN Business, Ren noted that the Huawei CFO should take pride in becoming "a bargaining chip" amid the China-U.S. trade war.
Ren explained that while he is hurting for his daughter's situation, he believes the struggles will be good for Meng's "growth." The aging tech leader noted that being caught up in the war of two powerful countries will pave the way for his daughter to be stronger in the long run.
Due to the struggles that Meng and Huawei have been going through over the past year, the CFO has forged closer ties with her tech giant father. Ren said that before her arrest, Meng would not call him "in a a whole year."
This time, the two of them chat more often, Ren revealed. The innovation expert also clarified that just because Meng is going through tough times at this point, it will give her the right to be promoted for a higher office once she comes back home.
Ren's comments came amid his daughter's preparation to fight Washington's request for Meng to be extradited to the United States. The Huawei CFO is expected to appeal the extradition request early next year.
On Sunday, Meng posted a blog on the tech giant's official website, with the title "Your warmth is a beacon that lights my way forward." The Huawei executive noted that she has learned to accept her current status.
Meng is under house arrest in Canada and has been spotted each time she steps out of her Vancouver home to appear in court with an ankle bracelet. She is also being watched by security guards.
In her blog, Meng noted that Canadians have been kind to her. She also expressed thanks to the institution where she was held initially before she posted $10 million bails and was put under house arrest.
Last week, Meng's legal counsel said the U.S. "seeks to dress up" its allegations that their client violated sanctions against Iran. Her lawyers further argued that the issue of misinterpreting Meng's statements about Skycom took place outside the U.S. and Canada.
Meng and Huawei have repeatedly denied U.S. allegations that they committed fraudulent transactions or violated any U.S. sanctions on Iran. Meng's hearings are expected to ensue throughout late 2020.
