A contingent of Chinese companies, led by technology giant Huawei, is using Mobile World Congress as an opportunity to show their muscle in the face of Huawei’s blacklisting by Western nations concerned about cybersecurity.
After three years of pandemic disruption, they are among tens of thousands of companies in Barcelona this week for MWC – an annual tech industry expo starting on Monday – where mobile phone makers show off new devices and telecom industry executives peruse the latest networking gear and software.
Out of 2,000 exhibitors and sponsors, 150 are Chinese companies with Huawei Technologies Ltd. having the biggest presence.
The smartphone and network equipment maker expanded its footprint by 50 percent from last year and is taking up almost an entire exhibition hall at Barcelona’s Fira convention center, organizers have said.
Huawei has been at the center of a geopolitical battle over global technology supremacy that’s left parts of its business crippled by Western sanctions. In addition, the US’s escalating tensions with China over TikTok, spy balloons, and computer chips have more recently fuelled the ongoing dissension.
Three years ago, the US successfully pushed European allies like Britain and Sweden to ban or restrict Huawei equipment in their phone networks over fears Beijing could use it for cyber snooping or sabotaging critical communications infrastructure – allegations Huawei has denied repeatedly.
Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada have taken similar action.
Brian Chamberlin, Executive Adviser at Huawei’s wireless carrier group, said “the sanctions have had a big impact” but the company is “not going to try to break any of those rules”.
“But at the same time, that’s not going to slow us down from delivering innovation, innovative solutions,” he told AP at the expo. “We will continue to do business with companies and countries that want our support”.
Huawei’s supersized presence at the show is a sign of defiance, said John Strand, a Danish telecom industry consultant.
