Chinese equipment manufacturer Huawei once again presented itself as a model student in front of the European press, gathered in its cyber security centre on Tuesday 30 July in Brussels, for the presentation of the company's figures for the first half of 2019.
Overall, Huawei's sales increased by 23.2%, despite US pressure, the company notes. For the period January-June, sales reached 401.3 billion yuan (52.3 billion euros). "Those who, in May, predicted our disappearance were wrong. Huawei continues to demonstrate resilience. We are moving forward. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger", commented Huawei President Liang Hua from Shenzhen in a live broadcast.
The Chinese company was put on a blacklist by the Trump administration, which suspects the group of potentially spying for Beijing. However, this was suspended until mid-August, before American companies are prohibited from selling their equipment to the company (see EUROPE 12256/22).
In his speech, Liang Hua paid tribute to the European operators without whom the company's growth would not have been possible, he said. "So far, 28 of the 50 5G commercial contracts have been concluded in Europe", he said with satisfaction. He also showed his respect for the European Union as a whole and appreciated the recommendation launched by the European Commission last March (see EUROPE 12222/23, 12300/5): "Europe is setting the bar high, but no matter how high it is, Huawei is confident that it will be reached and the whole industry should work together to do the same". (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)