Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL] is facing a public backlash in China after details of the dismissal and wrongful detention of a former employee went viral.
Huawei Technologies [HWT.UL] is facing a public backlash in China after details of the dismissal and wrongful detention of a former employee went viral.
He was later acquitted by authorities and received 100,000 yuan ($14,206.77) in state compensation.
The hashtag “former Huawei employee who was detained hopes Huawei will apologize” was viewed over 230 million times on Weibo in the subsequent days.
Huawei said it supported Li’s rights to seek a resolution through legal means, but its response has failed to quell public criticism of the firm and the topic was still trending on Tuesday.
Huawei’s statement is “impeccable from a legal standpoint” but did not respond to the public’s mood, Hu said.
Both Li and his legal representative declined to comment to Reuters. Huawei has also declined to provide further comment on the case.
Fearing Huawei’s equipment could be used by China for spying, the U.S. government has placed the telecoms equipment provider on a blacklist banning it from buying American-made parts. It has also urged its allies to bar it from their 5G networks.
U.S. hostility, however, has boosted domestic support for Huawei, which captured a record 42% of China’s smartphone market in the third quarter at the expense of local rivals like Xiaomi and Apple.
