Huawei chief calls for treatment like European company

Chinese telecommunications group Huawei would invest more in Europe if it were treated like a European company by regulators, according to its chief executive.

Guo Ping, the deputy chairman and current chief executive of the group, said that a previous anti-dumping investigation by the European Commission into Huawei and Chinese handset maker ZTE had made the group "uncomfortable" and "feel very uncertain".

Huawei has invested heavily in Europe over the past decade and now employs 9,900 people across the continent with 1,200 of these working in research and development.

"We are here not to see Europe as a market," said Mr Guo. "We want to do R&D here. We want to do our procurement here. We want to become a European company."

Mr Guo, who is one of three executives who helm the company on a rotating basis, said that this investment could be stepped up if the company received fairer treatment from regulators.

"If we can be given a fair opportunity to participate like other European companies, that would be an encouragement to us," said Mr Guo.

Last year, the European Commission dropped a long running complaint against Huawei alongside ZTE, over claims that they were flooding the European market with underpriced goods.

"The process was very uncomfortable; it made us feel very uncertain," said Mr Guo.

The comments come as the EU faces increasing scrutiny over the way that it treats non-European companies.

Earlier this year, US President Barack Obama accused European regulators of protectionism for the way it was treating Silicon Valley groups.

Huawei itself has faced persistent criticism from US diplomats and trade officials, who claim that the telecoms group has close links with the Chinese government - which Huawei denies - and poses a security risk.

Mr Guo said: "There is concern about network security in the US. That is understandable. But that needs to be dealt with together by suppliers, customers and the government."

Referring to recent controversy over US spy agency access to telecommunications, Mr Guo added: "Today, you do not find us in the US. Surely, then, internet security in the US is the best in the world now."

Mr Guo laughed when asked whether the US was softening in its stance against Huawei. "I wouldn't be able to tell you," said Mr Guo. "I hope you would be able to tell me."

In Europe, the telecoms sector has been shaken up by Nokia's €16bn takeover of French rival Alcatel-Lucent.

The move will give the Finnish group a stronger foothold in wireless telecoms to add to its current focus on fixed-line operations.

"For these companies to come together, it is in line with a general trend wanted by customers," said Mr Guo. "We would be happy to see a merged new company become a strong investor, investing into the future of the industry."

Along with Huawei, European telecoms companies are scrambling to develop so-called 5G services, which give customers faster internet access than 4G.

This will form the backbone for an array of new products that rely on the internet ranging from connected cars to fridges. Huawei has launched a new R&D centre in Leuven in Belgium to co-ordinate its research in this area.

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