History of Huawei in Timeline
Huawei is a Chinese multinational technology corporation founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, a former PLA officer. Headquartered in Shenzhen, it produces telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics, electric vehicle autonomous driving systems, and rooftop solar power products. Huawei has grown to be a global leader in several technology sectors, while also facing scrutiny and restrictions in some international markets due to security concerns and its connection to the Chinese government.
1987: Huawei Founded
In 1987, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. was founded in Shenzhen by Ren Zhengfei, a veteran officer of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
1990: Independent Commercialization of PBX switches
By 1990, Huawei had approximately 600 R&D staff and began its own independent commercialization of PBX switches targeting hotels and small enterprises.
1992: Focus on low-income and difficult to access market niches
In 1992, Huawei focused on low-income and difficult to access market niches to grow despite difficult competition from Alcatel, Lucent, and Nortel Networks.
1992: Private Business Licenses
In 1992, the Chinese government began issuing licenses for private businesses.
1993: Launched C&C08 program controlled telephone switch
In 1993, Huawei launched its C&C08 program controlled telephone switch, the most powerful switch available in China at the time.
1994: Key contract to build the first national telecommunications network for the People's Liberation Army
In 1994, Huawei won a key contract to build the first national telecommunications network for the People's Liberation Army.
1996: Manufacturing Resource Planning Solution
In 1996, Huawei began with a manufacturing resource planning (MRP) solution.
1996: Government support for domestic telecommunications manufacturers
In 1996, the government in Beijing adopted an explicit policy of supporting domestic telecommunications manufacturers and restricting access to foreign competitors. Huawei was promoted as a national champion.
1997: Contract to provide fixed-line network products to Hutchison Whampoa
In 1997, Huawei won a contract to provide fixed-line network products to Hong Kong company Hutchison Whampoa and later launched wireless GSM-based products.
1997: Shenzen Provisions on State-owned Company Employee Stock Option Plans
In 1997, under Shenzen's 1997 Provisions on State-owned Company Employee Stock Option Plans, Huawei's ownership structure became a function of its formation amid the Chinese reforms, with the only mechanism for concentrating employee ownership under Shenzen's 1997 Provisions on State-owned Company Employee Stock Option Plans being to do so via Huawei's trade union.
1998: Entrance into African telecommunications market
Beginning in the late 1990s, Huawei built communications networks throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, with its first entrance into the African telecommunications market in 1998.
1998: Joint Ventures with State-Owned Telecommunications Companies
By 1998, Huawei had signed agreements with municipal and provincial telephone bureaus to create several joint ventures to funnel money to local telecommunications employees so that Huawei could get deals to sell them equipment.
1999: Opened R&D center in Bengaluru, India
In 1999, Huawei opened a research and development (R&D) centre in Bengaluru, India to develop a wide range of telecom software.
2000: 3Com abandoned high-end core routers and switch market
In 2000, 3Com abandoned the high-end core routers and switch market to focus on other businesses.
February 2003: Cisco Sues Huawei for Patent Infringement and Copying Source Code
In February 2003, Cisco Systems sued Huawei Technologies for allegedly infringing on its patents and illegally copying source code used in its routers and switches.
May 2003: Partnership with 3Com
In May 2003, Huawei partnered with 3Com on a joint venture known as H3C, which focused on enterprise networking equipment.
July 2003: Handset Department Establishment
In July 2003, Huawei established their handset department.
July 2004: Huawei Settles with Cisco, Admits to Copying Router Software
In July 2004, Huawei settled the lawsuit with Cisco Systems out of court. As part of the settlement, Huawei admitted that it had copied some of Cisco's router software and removed the contested code, manuals and command-line interfaces.
2004: China Development Bank provided a credit line between 2004 and 2009
Between 2004 and 2009, China's state-owned banks such as the China Development Bank provided a credit line totaling US$30 billion to Huawei customers, which substantially undercut competitors' financing with lower interest and cash in advance.
2004: First Phone Shipped
By 2004, Huawei shipped their first phone, the C300.
2004: Signed $10 billion credit line with China Development Bank
In 2004, Huawei signed a $10 billion credit line with China Development Bank to provide low-cost financing to customers buying its telecommunications equipment.
2004: Nortel Compromised by Chinese Hackers
In 2004, Nortel was compromised by Chinese hackers, leading to the access of executive credentials and takeover of entire computers. Although Huawei's direct involvement is not believed, it is thought to have benefited from the hack, which included the theft of product roadmaps, sales proposals, and technical papers.
2004: Huawei Employee Allegedly Photographs Competitors' Equipment at Supercomm
In 2004, at the Supercomm tech conference in Chicago, a Huawei employee allegedly opened up the networking equipment of other companies to photograph the circuit boards.
June 2005: First 3G Phone
In June 2005, the U626 was Huawei's first 3G phone.
2005: Foreign contract orders exceeded domestic sales
In 2005, Huawei's foreign contract orders exceeded its domestic sales for the first time. Huawei also signed a global framework agreement with Vodafone, marking the first time a telecommunications equipment supplier from China had received Approved Supplier status from Vodafone Global Supply Chain.
2006: 3Com bought out Huawei's share of the venture
In 2006, 3Com bought out Huawei's share of the venture for US$882 million.
2006: First Vodafone-Branded 3G Handset
In 2006, Huawei launched the first Vodafone-branded 3G handset, the V710.
2007: Joint venture with Symantec Corporation
In 2007, Huawei began a joint venture with US security software vendor Symantec Corporation, known as Huawei Symantec, which aimed to provide end-to-end solutions for network data storage and security.
May 2008: Optus to establish technology research facility with Huawei in Sydney
In May 2008, Australian carrier Optus announced that it would establish a technology research facility with Huawei in Sydney.
October 2008: Agreement to contribute to GSM-based HSPA+ network
In October 2008, Huawei reached an agreement to contribute to a new GSM-based HSPA+ network being deployed jointly by Canadian carriers Bell Mobility and Telus Mobility.
2009: China Development Bank provided a credit line between 2004 and 2009
Between 2004 and 2009, China's state-owned banks such as the China Development Bank provided a credit line totaling US$30 billion to Huawei customers, which substantially undercut competitors' financing with lower interest and cash in advance.
2009: HANNIBAL Submarine Cable System Delivery
In 2009, Huawei Marine Networks delivered the HANNIBAL submarine communications cable system for Tunisie Telecom across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.
2009: Delivered LTE/EPC commercial networks for TeliaSonera
In 2009, Huawei delivered one of the world's first LTE/EPC commercial networks for TeliaSonera in Oslo, Norway.
2009: Credit line tripled to $30 billion
In 2009, Huawei's credit line with China Development Bank was tripled to $30 billion.
2009: First Android Smartphone
In 2009, The U8220 was Huawei's first Android smartphone and was unveiled in MWC 2009.
2009: NSA Infiltrates Huawei's Computer Network
In 2009, the National Security Agency (NSA) infiltrated Huawei's computer network, according to reports in 2014. The operation obtained Huawei's customer list and internal training documents, with access to the central email archive.
2009: Huawei's ability to covertly exploit backdoors since 2009
In 2019, United States officials disclosed to the United Kingdom and Germany that Huawei has had the ability to covertly exploit backdoors intended for law enforcement officials since 2009, as these backdoors are found on carrier equipment like antennas and routers.
July 2010: Included in Global Fortune 500 list
In July 2010, Huawei was included in the Global Fortune 500 list for the first time, on the strength of annual sales of US$21.8 billion and net profit of US$2.67 billion.
2010: Collaboration with Telecoms Companies
As of the beginning of 2010, approximately 80% of the world's top 50 telecoms companies had worked with Huawei.
2010: Board of Directors List Disclosed
In 2010, Huawei disclosed its list of board of directors for the first time. Liang Hua is the current chair of the board.
2010: Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) set up in 2010
In 2010, The Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) was set up to assuage security fears as it examined Huawei hardware and software for the UK market.
2010: European Commission Investigation into China's Subsidies
In 2010, the European Commission launched an investigation into China's subsidies that distorted global markets and harmed European vendors. Huawei offered the initial complainant US$56 million to withdraw the complaint.
2011: Entry into Photovoltaic Market
In 2011, Huawei entered the photovoltaic (PV) market and opened an Energy Center of Competence in Nuremberg, Germany.
2011: Vodafone disclosed security vulnerability in Huawei-installed software
In 2011, Vodafone disclosed that its Italian fixed line network contained a security vulnerability in its Huawei-installed software, which Huawei fixed at Vodafone's request.
2011: Report on Links Between Huawei and Chinese Government
In 2011, a report by the Open Source Enterprise detailed its suspicions over potential close links between Huawei and the Chinese Government, such as former chairwoman Sun Yafang's prior employment by the Ministry of State Security (MSS)'s Communications Department.
January 2012: Australian intelligence detected a backdoor
In January 2012, Australian intelligence detected a backdoor in the country's telecom network, reportedly caused by a Huawei software update carrying malicious code. The data was transmitted to China before the code deleted itself.
September 2012: First 4G Ready Phone
In September 2012, Huawei launched their first 4G ready phone, the Ascend P1 LTE.
October 2012: Move of UK headquarters to Green Park, Reading, Berkshire
In October 2012, it was announced that Huawei would move its UK headquarters to Green Park, Reading, Berkshire.
2012: Hack on Australia's telecom networks
In 2012, Australian and US intelligence agencies concluded that a hack on Australia's telecom networks was conducted by or through Huawei, although the two network operators have disputed that information.
2012: Largest Telecom Equipment Maker
In 2012, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. became the world's largest telecom equipment maker and China's largest telephone-network equipment maker.
2012: Huawei bought out Symantec's share in the venture
In 2012, Huawei bought out Symantec's share in the Huawei Symantec venture.
2012: Overtook Ericsson as largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer
In 2012, Huawei overtook Ericsson to become the largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer in the world.
2012: White House security review found no evidence of spying
In 2012, a White House-ordered security review found no evidence that Huawei spied for China and said instead that security vulnerabilities on its products posed a greater threat to its users.
December 2013: Introduction of Honor as Subsidiary
In December 2013, Huawei introduced Honor as a subsidiary independent brand in China.
2013: Taiwan Blocks Huawei Equipment
In 2013, Taiwan blocked mobile network operators and government departments from using Huawei equipment due to security concerns.
2014: China's Counter-Espionage Law
In 2014, China's Counter-Espionage Law was enacted which experts say can compel Huawei to cooperate with state intelligence.
2014: Reports of NSA Infiltration of Huawei's Computer Network in 2009 Surface
In 2014, Der Spiegel and The New York Times reported that the National Security Agency (NSA) had infiltrated Huawei's computer network in 2009, obtaining customer lists and internal training documents.
2014: World's No. 1 Applicant for International Patents
In 2014, Huawei became the world's No. 1 applicant for international patents, with 3,442 patents.
2014: NSA penetrated Huawei's corporate networks
In 2014, the National Security Agency penetrated Huawei's corporate networks in China, monitoring accounts belonging to Huawei employees and its founder Ren Zhengfei to search for links between the company and the People's Liberation Army.
January 2015: Discontinuation of "Ascend" Brand
In January 2015, Huawei discontinued the "Ascend" brand for its flagship phones and launched the new P series with the Huawei P8.
September 2015: Partnership with Google for Nexus 6P
In September 2015, Huawei also partnered with Google to build the Nexus 6P.
September 2015: Huawei Watch Release
On 2 September 2015, the Huawei Watch, an Android Wear-based smartwatch developed by Huawei, was released at Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin.
September 2016: Integration of Manufacturing Capabilities in Eindhoven
In September 2016, Huawei integrated new manufacturing capabilities into its Eindhoven hub in the Netherlands, enabling the production of 7,000 inverter units per month.
2016: Partnership with Leica
In 2016, German camera company Leica established a partnership with Huawei to co-engineer Leica cameras into Huawei smartphones, including the P and Mate Series. The first smartphone to be co-engineered with a Leica camera was the Huawei P9.
2016: Entry into Laptop Market
In 2016, Huawei entered the laptop markets with the release of its Huawei MateBook series of laptops.
2016: Expanding operations in Ireland
Since 2016, Huawei has expanded operations in Ireland, with facilities in Dublin, Cork, and Westmeath.
January 2017: Data transfers on African Union headquarters servers peaked
From January 2012 to January 2017, inside the African Union headquarters, whose computer systems were supplied by Huawei, data transfers on its servers peaked after hours, with the AU's internal data sent to unknown servers hosted in Shanghai.
April 2017: Entry into Residential Solar Market
In April 2017, Huawei entered the residential solar market with the launch of its string solar inverters and DC power optimizers, and later solar batteries.
September 2017: Created Narrowband IoT city-aware network
In September 2017, Huawei created a Narrowband IoT city-aware network using a "one network, one platform, N applications" construction model.
2017: PRC National Intelligence Law
In 2017, Article 7 of the PRC national intelligence-gathering activities law stipulated that all Chinese citizens and organisations are obliged to cooperate upon request with PRC intelligence operations and maintain the secrecy of such operations.
2017: Jury Finds Huawei Misappropriated T-Mobile Trade Secrets
In 2017, a jury found that Huawei had misappropriated trade secrets of T-Mobile US but only awarded damages for a breach of supplier contract, without compensating T-Mobile for claims of espionage.
January 2018: US Alleged Sanctions Violation
In January 2018, the United States alleged that Huawei violated sanctions against Iran, leading to restrictions on business with American companies.
May 2018: Bootloader Unlocking Restriction
In May 2018, Huawei stated that they will no longer allow unlocking the bootloader of their phones to allow installing third party system software or security updates after Huawei stops them.
August 2018: National Defense Authorization Act Banning Huawei and ZTE Equipment
In August 2018, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA 2019) was signed into law, containing a provision that banned Huawei and ZTE equipment from being used by the US federal government, citing security concerns.
November 2018: New Zealand blocked Huawei from supplying mobile equipment
In November 2018, New Zealand blocked Huawei from supplying mobile equipment to Spark New Zealand's 5G network, citing a "significant network security risk" and concerns about China's National Intelligence Law.
December 1, 2018: Meng Wanzhou detained at Vancouver International Airport
On December 1, 2018, Meng Wanzhou, the board deputy chairperson and daughter of the founder of Huawei, was detained upon arrival at Vancouver International Airport by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers.
December 2018: German and British intelligence agencies pushed back against the US' allegations
Between December 2018 and January 2019, German and British intelligence agencies initially pushed back against the US' allegations, stating that after examining Huawei's 5G hardware and accompanying source code, they have found no evidence of malevolence and that a ban would therefore be unwarranted.
2018: Huawei Started Developing HongMeng OS
After the US sanctions regime started in the summer of 2018, Huawei began working on its own in-house operating system codenamed "HongMeng OS" as a potential alternative to Android and Windows.
2018: 200 million smartphones sold
By 2018, Huawei had sold 200 million smartphones.
2018: Huawei Began Massively Stockpiling Chips
Huawei began massively stockpiling from 2018, when Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was arrested in Canada upon US request.
2018: Huawei increased spending on stockpiling by 73% from 2018
In 2018, Huawei increased spending on stockpiling by 73% from 2018, reaching $23.45 billion.
2018: Surpassed Apple as largest smartphone manufacturer
In 2018, Huawei surpassed Apple to become the largest smartphone manufacturer worldwide.
2018: Japan Bans Huawei Government Contracts
In 2018, Japan banned Huawei from receiving government contracts, citing national security concerns.
2018: German Court Rules Against Huawei and ZTE in Favor of MPEG LA
In 2018, a German court ruled against Huawei and ZTE in a patent case, siding with MPEG LA, which holds patents related to Advanced Video Coding.
2018: US Defense funding bill barred federal government from doing business with Huawei and ZTE
In 2018, the United States passed a defense funding bill that contained a passage barring the federal government from doing business with Huawei, ZTE, and several Chinese vendors of surveillance products, due to security concerns.
January 2019: German and British intelligence agencies pushed back against the US' allegations
Between December 2018 and January 2019, German and British intelligence agencies initially pushed back against the US' allegations, stating that after examining Huawei's 5G hardware and accompanying source code, they have found no evidence of malevolence and that a ban would therefore be unwarranted.
January 28, 2019: United States Department of Justice formally announced financial fraud charges against Meng
On January 28, 2019, the United States Department of Justice formally announced financial fraud charges against Meng Wanzhou.
March 2019: Huawei Files Lawsuit Over NDAA 2019
In March 2019, Huawei filed a lawsuit over the NDAA 2019, alleging it to be unconstitutional because it specifically targeted Huawei without granting it a chance to provide a rebuttal or due process.
March 2019: Huawei filed defamation claims
In March 2019, Huawei filed three defamation claims over comments suggesting ties to the Chinese government made on television by a French researcher, a broadcast journalist and a telecommunications sector expert.
April 2019: Established Huawei Malaysia Global Training Centre (MGTC) at Cyberjaya, Malaysia
In April 2019, Huawei established the Huawei Malaysia Global Training Centre (MGTC) at Cyberjaya, Malaysia.
May 2019: Huawei Mediapad M5 sending data to servers in China
In May 2019, a Huawei Mediapad M5 belonging to a Canadian IT engineer in Taiwan was found to be sending data to servers in China without authorization.
May 2019: Partial Ban on Huawei
In May 2019, the ban on Huawei was partial, not affecting most non-American produced chips, and the Trump administration granted extensions on the ban.
May 2019: US Department of Commerce Adds Huawei to Entity List
On 15 May 2019, the Department of Commerce added Huawei and 70 foreign subsidiaries and "affiliates" to its Entity List, restricting US companies from doing business with Huawei without a government license.
May 2019: United States Entity List
Since the United States Entity List of May 2019 barred American software technology companies from supplying ERP systems to Huawei prompted the company to develop an in-house ERP system for the next following three years.
June 2019: Job Cuts at Santa Clara Research Center
In June 2019, Huawei cut jobs at its Santa Clara research center.
June 2019: US President Implicates Plans to Ease Restrictions on Huawei
On 29 June 2019, at the G20 summit, the US President made statements implicating plans to ease the restrictions on US companies doing business with Huawei.
August 2019: Collaboration with Gentle Monster
In August 2019, Huawei collaborated with eyewear company Gentle Monster and released smartglasses.
August 2019: Huawei Unveils Harmony OS
On August 9, 2019, Huawei officially unveiled Harmony OS at its inaugural HDC developers' conference in Dongguan. It included the ARK compiler, which can port Android APK packages to the OS.
September 2019: Huawei Offers Deepin Linux on Matebook
In September 2019, Huawei began offering the Linux distribution Deepin as a pre-loaded operating system on selected Matebook models in China.
November 2019: Launch of MatePad Pro
In November 2019, Huawei launched the Huawei MatePad Pro, after that, subsequent releases of their MatePad tablet line.
November 2019: Partnership with Devialet
In November 2019, Huawei partners with Devialet and unveiled a new specifically designed speaker, the Sound X.
November 2019: Link Between Huawei's 5G Expansion and Chinese Trade
In November 2019, the Chinese ambassador to Denmark directly linked Huawei's 5G expansion with Chinese trade in meetings with high-ranking Faroese politicians, threatening to drop a planned trade deal with the Faroe Islands if Føroya Tele did not let Huawei build the national 5G network.
December 2019: Unveiling of HMS version 4.0
In December 2019, Huawei unveiled HMS version 4.0. Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) is Huawei's solution to GMS (Google Mobile services) for Android - providing many of the same features for app developers. It also serves as the umbrella brand for Huawei's core set of mobile applications, including Huawei AppGallery, which was created as a competitor to Google's Play Store.
2019: Allegations of Backdoors and Espionage
As of 2019, the United States had not produced evidence of coordinated hacking by Huawei, despite allegations that its products contain backdoors for Chinese government espionage.
2019: Board of Directors Members
As of 2019, the members of the board are Liang Hua, Guo Ping, Xu Zhijun, Hu Houkun, Meng Wanzhou, Ding Yun, Yu Chengdong, Wang Tao, Xu Wenwei, Shen-Han Chiu, Chen Lifang, Peng Zhongyang, He Tingbo, Li Yingtao, Ren Zhengfei, Yao Fuhai, Tao Jingwen, and Yan Lida.
2019: Second-Biggest Smartphone Maker
As of the first quarter of 2019, Huawei is the second-biggest smartphone maker in the world, after Samsung. Their portfolio of phones includes both high-end smartphones, its Huawei Mate series and Huawei Pura series, and cheaper handsets that fall under its Honor brand.
2019: Huawei referred to as a private company
Huawei's position has shifted in 2019 when, Dr. Song Liuping, Huawei's chief legal officer, commented on the US government ban, said: "Politicians in the US are using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company." (emphasis added).
2019: Second Most Patents Granted by the European Patent Office
In 2019, Huawei had the second most patents granted by the European Patent Office.
2019: Revenue of US$122 billion
In 2019, Huawei reported revenue of US$122 billion.
2019: Huawei Spent $23.45 Billion on Stockpiling
In 2019, Huawei spent $23.45 billion on stockpiling of chips and other supplies, up 73% from 2018.
2019: Ren Zhengfei States Huawei Does Not Participate in Espionage
In 2019, Ren Zhengfei stated that Huawei does not participate in espionage or install backdoors, even if required by Chinese law. Huawei cited the opinion of Zhong Lun Law Firm, stating the National Intelligence Law doesn't apply to Huawei.
2019: Vietnam Excludes Huawei from 5G Bids
In 2019, Vietnam left Huawei out of bids to build the country's 5G network due to national security concerns, signaling increasing scrutiny of Huawei's involvement in critical infrastructure.
2019: Questions Raised About Huawei's Business with North Korea
In 2019, leaked documents obtained by The Washington Post raised questions about whether Huawei conducted business secretly with North Korea, which was under numerous US sanctions.
2019: Henry Jackson Society Report on Employee CVs
In 2019, the Henry Jackson Society analyzed 25,000 Huawei employee CVs and found connections to China's Ministry of State Security and the People's Liberation Army, suggesting a strong relationship between Huawei and the Chinese state.
2019: Huawei Placed on US Entity List
In 2019, the United States Department of Commerce had put Huawei on its entity list, eventually "prohibiting it from working with American companies in almost all circumstances."
January 2020: HMS Core Software Adoption
As of 16 January 2020, the company reported that it had signed up 55,000 apps using its HMS Core software.
January 20, 2020: Extradition hearing for Meng began
The first stage of the extradition hearing for Meng Wanzhou began on Monday, January 20, 2020.
February 2020: US government officials claimed that Huawei has had the ability to covertly exploit backdoors
In February 2020, US government officials claimed that Huawei has had the ability to covertly exploit backdoors intended for law enforcement officials in carrier equipment like antennas and routers since 2009.
February 2020: US Department of Justice Charges Huawei with Racketeering and Trade Secret Theft
In February 2020, the United States Department of Justice charged Huawei with racketeering and conspiring to steal trade secrets from six US firms. Huawei responded that those allegations, some dating back almost 20 years, had never resulted in any significant monetary judgment.
February 2020: Federal Judge Dismisses Huawei's Lawsuit Over NDAA 2019
In February 2020, the federal judge dismissed Huawei's lawsuit, concluding that U.S. Congress acted within its powers by including the restriction in the NDAA 2019.
May 2020: SMIC Manufactures 14 nm Chips for Huawei
In May 2020, SMIC manufactured 14 nm chips for Huawei, marking the first time Huawei used a foundry other than TSMC.
May 2020: US Extends Ban to Cover Semiconductors Customized for Huawei
In May 2020, the US extended the ban to cover semiconductors customized for Huawei and made with US technology.
May 2020: U.S. Department of Commerce Extends Export Restrictions on Huawei
On 15 May 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce extended its export restrictions to prevent Huawei from producing semiconductors derived from technology or software of US origin, even if the manufacturing is performed overseas.
May 27, 2020: Supreme Court of British Columbia ordered the extradition to proceed
On May 27, 2020, the Supreme Court of British Columbia ordered the extradition of Meng Wanzhou to proceed.
June 2020: ANSSI informed French telecommunications companies
In June 2020 ANSSI informed French telecommunications companies that they would not be allowed to renew licenses for 5G equipment made from Huawei after 2028.
June 2020: FCC Designates Huawei a National Security Threat
In June 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated Huawei a national security threat, thereby barring it from any US subsidies.
June 2020: China Threatens Retaliation Over UK's Huawei Decision
In June 2020, when the UK mulled reversing an earlier decision to permit Huawei's participation in 5G, China threatened retaliation in other sectors by withholding investments in power generation and high-speed rail.
July 2020: TSMC Halts Shipment of Silicon Wafers to Huawei and HiSilicon
In July 2020, TSMC confirmed it would halt the shipment of silicon wafers to Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer Huawei and its subsidiary HiSilicon by 14 September.
July 2020: Federal Register Notice Prohibits Selling Huawei Hardware to the Federal Government
In July 2020, the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council published a Federal Register notice prohibiting all federal government contractors from selling Huawei hardware to the federal government and preventing federal contractors from using Huawei hardware.
July 2020: New Zealand would not join the United Kingdom and United States in banning Huawei
In mid July 2020, Andrew Little, the Minister in charge of New Zealand's signals intelligence agency the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), announced that New Zealand would not join the United Kingdom and United States in banning Huawei from the country's 5G network.
July 2020: UK Government announced ban on Huawei's 5G network equipment
On 14 July 2020, the United Kingdom Government announced a ban on the use of company's 5G network equipment, citing security concerns.
August 2020: US Extends Ban to All Semiconductor Sales to Huawei
In August 2020, the US again extended the ban to a blanket ban on all semiconductor sales to Huawei.
August 2020: French President assured the Chinese government
On 28 August 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron assured the Chinese government that it did not ban Huawei products from participating in its fifth-generation mobile roll-out, but favored European providers for security reasons.
September 2020: Huawei Stockpiles Chips and Components Before Deadline
Before the 15 September 2020 deadline, Huawei was in "survival mode" and stockpiled "5G mobile processors, Wifi, radio frequency and display driver chips and other components" from key chip suppliers and manufacturers.
September 2020: Blanket Ban on Semiconductor Sales to Huawei Takes Effect
In September 2020, the blanket ban on all semiconductor sales to Huawei took effect, and Samsung and LG Display were banned from supplying displays to Huawei.
September 2020: Sanctions Regime Affects Huawei Production and Sales
In September 2020, the sanctions regime negatively affected Huawei's production, sales, and financial projections.
October 2020: Release of Petal Maps
In October 2020, Huawei released its own mapping service, Petal Maps, which was developed in partnership with Dutch navigation device manufacturer TomTom.
October 2020: Huawei has failed to adequately tackle security flaws
On 1 October 2020, an official report released by National Cyber Security Centre noted that "Huawei has failed to adequately tackle security flaws in equipment used in the UK's telecoms networks despite previous complaints", and flagged one vulnerability of "national significance" related to broadband in 2019.
October 2020: Report on Collusion Between Huawei and Chinese State
On 7 October 2020, the U.K. Parliament's Defence Committee released a report concluding that there was evidence of collusion between Huawei and the Chinese state and the Chinese Communist Party, based upon ownership model and government subsidies it has received.
November 2020: Huawei challenged the UK government's decision
In November 2020, Huawei challenged the UK government's decision to ban its 5G equipment, citing an Oxford Economics report that it had contributed £3.3 billion to the UK's GDP.
November 2020: President Trump Issues Executive Order Prohibiting Investment in Companies Linked to PLA
In November 2020, President Donald Trump issued an executive order prohibiting any American company or individual from owning shares in companies that the United States Department of Defense has listed as having links to the People's Liberation Army, which included Huawei.
November 2020: Telus Mobility dropped Huawei in favor of Samsung, Ericsson, and Nokia
In November 2020, Telus Mobility dropped Huawei in favor of Samsung, Ericsson, and Nokia for their 5G/Radio Access Network.
2020: Huawei major role in building 70% of Africa's 4G networks
By 2020, Huawei had a major role in building approximately 70% of Africa's 4G networks.
2020: World's top smartphone seller
By the second quarter of 2020, Huawei had become the world's top smartphone seller, overtaking Samsung for the first time.
2020: Sale of Honor Brand
In 2020, Huawei agreed to sell the Honor brand to a state-owned enterprise of the Shenzhen government to "ensure its survival" under US sanctions.
2020: Continued Laptop Releases
In 2020, Huawei continued to release laptop models in the MateBook series, with the most recent models being the MateBook X Pro and Matebook 13 2020.
2020: Huawei Browser Launch
In 2020, Huawei launched browser, which was released in over 170 countries. Huawei Browser is made explicitly for HMS (Huawei Mobile Services) ecosystem. The browser is a fork of Chromium project.
2020: Published Patent Applications
In 2020, Huawei published 5464 patent applications.
2020: Surpassed Samsung as largest smartphone manufacturer
In 2020, Huawei surpassed Samsung to become the largest smartphone manufacturer worldwide.
2020: UK Announces Huawei Gear Phasing Out
In 2020, the UK initially announced the phasing out of all Huawei gear from its 5G network by the end of 2027 following pressure from the US.
2020: Huawei Plans to Build Semiconductor Manufacturing Facility in Shanghai
In late 2020, it was reported that Huawei had planned to build a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Shanghai that did not involve US technology.
2020: Release of LiteOS powered Smartwatches
Since 2020, Huawei released subsequent models using in-house operating systems from LiteOS powered models to the latest HarmonyOS powered watches.
January 2021: Trump Administration Revokes Licenses to Supply Huawei
In January 2021, the Trump administration revoked licenses from US companies such as Intel from supplying products and technologies to Huawei.
June 2021: Huawei Ships Smartphones with Harmony OS in China
In June 2021, Huawei began shipping its smartphones with Harmony OS by default in China, while retaining Android (EMUI) in Europe. This marked a significant shift in Huawei's software strategy.
June 2021: FCC Prohibits Approvals of Huawei Gear in US Telecommunication Networks
In June 2021, the FCC voted unanimously to prohibit approvals of Huawei gear in US telecommunication networks on national security grounds.
June 2021: Biden Administration Pressures UAE to Remove Huawei Equipment
In June 2021, the administration of Joe Biden began to persuade the United Arab Emirates to remove Huawei Technologies Co. equipment from its telecommunications network.
July 2021: Hiring of Tony Podesta
In July 2021, Huawei hired Tony Podesta as a consultant and lobbyist, with the goal of nurturing the company's relationship with the Biden administration.
August 2021: Extradition Judge Questions Regularity of Meng's Case
In August 2021, the extradition judge questioned the regularity of Meng Wanzhou's case and expressed difficulty understanding how the Record of Case (ROC) supported the allegation of criminality.
September 2021: Report Analyzes UAE's Balancing Act Between US and China
A report in September 2021 analyzed how the UAE was struggling between maintaining its relations with both the United States and China. The increasing Emirati relations with China have strained those with America, raising concerns about the security threat posed by Chinese technologies like Huawei 5G telecommunications network.
September 2021: Release of MateStation S and X
In September 2021, Huawei released the MateStation S and X among successor releases of variants, marking Huawei entrance into the workstation, desktop PC space with All-in-one and Thin client PCs.
December 2021: AITO M5 Unveiled
In December 2021, the AITO M5, the first vehicle developed in cooperation with Huawei and Seres, was unveiled. The model, primarily developed by Seres, is a restyled Seres SF5 crossover and uses Huawei DriveONE and HarmonyOS.
2021: Failure to Report Beneficial Ownership in Europe
In 2021, Huawei did not report its ultimate beneficial ownership in Europe as required by European anti-money laundering laws.
2021: Shipment Increase in Solar Inverters
In 2021, Huawei saw a significant shipment increase of 83% compared to the previous year in solar inverters.
2021: Ranked the second-largest R&D investor in the world
In 2021, Huawei was ranked the second-largest R&D investor in the world by the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) in its EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard.
2021: Secure Equipment Act Signed into Law
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law the Secure Equipment Act of 2021.
2021: Honor Devices Similarity to Huawei Phones
In 2021, Wired magazine noted that Honor devices still had not differentiated their software much from Huawei phones and that core apps and certain engineering features, like the Honor-engineered camera features looked "virtually identical' across both phones.
2021: Smartphone Shipments May Drop to 50 Million Units
In 2021, analysts predicted that Huawei could ship 195 million units of smartphones from its existing stockpile, but shipments may drop to 50 million if rules are not relaxed.
2021: Revenues drop by 32%
In 2021, heavy international sanctions saw Huawei's revenues drop by 32% in the third quarter.
2021: Ranked 1st in Patent Applications Published Under the PCT System
In 2021, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ranked Huawei's number of patent applications published under the PCT System as 1st in the world, with 5464 patent applications being published during 2020.
2021: Brazil Reverses Huawei 5G Ban
In early 2021, Brazil reversed its previous ban on Huawei participating in its 5G auction and allowed the company to participate, a shift in policy after initially restricting Huawei.
May 2022: End of Leica Partnership
As of May 2022, Huawei partnership with Leica had ended.
May 2022: Canada Bans Huawei and ZTE Equipment
In May 2022, Canada's government banned Huawei and ZTE equipment from the country's 5G network, joining allies in restricting Chinese telecom equipment due to security concerns.
May 2022: Canada will ban Huawei from the country's 5G network
In May 2022, Canada's industry minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced that Canada will ban Huawei from the country's 5G network, in an effort to protect the safety and security of Canadians, as well as to protect Canada's infrastructure.
October 2022: UK Extends Huawei Equipment Removal Deadline
In October 2022, the UK extended the deadline by a year to the end of 2023 for removing core Huawei equipment from network functions, providing operators more time to comply with the ban.
November 2022: FCC Issues Ban on Huawei for National Security Reasons
Following the Secure Equipment Act of 2021, on 25 November 2022, the FCC issued a ban on Huawei for national security reasons, citing the national security risk posed by the technology owned by China.
November 2022: FCC Ban on Huawei Equipment
In November 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned sales or import of equipment made by Huawei out of national security concerns. Other countries have since banned or restricted Huawei products.
2022: Largest Producer of Solar Inverters
As of 2022, Huawei became the largest producer of solar inverters in the world, holding a 29% market share, with an 83% shipment increase compared to 2021.
2022: Revenue had dropped a further 19.7% since the beginning of the year
By the end of third quarter in 2022, Huawei revenue had dropped a further 19.7% since the beginning of the year.
2022: TechInsights Believed SMIC Produced 7 nm Chips
In 2022, TechInsights stated that it believed SMIC had managed to produce 7 nm chips, even though faced by a harsh sanctions regime, by adapting simpler machines that it could still purchase from ASML.
2022: Stephen Roach stated there was no hard evidence of Huawei having a backdoor
In 2022, Yale University economist Stephen Roach stated that there was no hard evidence to support the allegations of Huawei having a backdoor for industrial espionage other than one arguable instance.
April 24, 2023: MetaERP Solution Launch
MetaERP, a proprietary enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, was launched on April 24, 2023. The company began with a manufacturing resource planning (MRP) solution in 1996. Since the United States Entity List of May 2019 barred American software technology companies from supplying ERP systems to Huawei prompted the company to develop an in-house ERP system for the next following three years.
August 2023: Costa Rica Bars Firms from Countries Not Signed to Budapest Convention
In August 2023, Costa Rica barred firms from countries that have not signed the Budapest Convention on cybercrime, affecting Chinese firms like Huawei, as well as firms from South Korea, Russia, and Brazil, among others.
August 2023: Allegations of Huawei Building Secret Semiconductor-Fabrication Facilities
In August 2023, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) alleged that Huawei was building a collection of secret semiconductor-fabrication facilities across China to skirt US sanctions.
September 2023: Huawei Launches Mate 60 Smartphone
In September 2023, Huawei launched its new Mate 60 smartphone, powered by the Kirin 9000s chip made in China by SMIC using new 7nm technology. This advance demonstrates China's resilience in chip technology despite sanctions.
September 2023: Announcement of Huawei Watch Ultimate Design
On 25 September 2023, Huawei Watch Ultimate Design announced.
October 2023: Worldwide Release of Huawei Watch Ultimate Design
On 4 October 2023, Huawei Watch Ultimate Design released worldwide.
October 2023: Huawei Devices and Hamas Attack on Israel
On 8 October 2023, former MI6 spy Aimen Dean suggested on X that Israel's failure to detect the Hamas-led attack was partly due to militants' use of Huawei phones, tablets, and laptops. He elaborated that the US ban on Huawei had forced it to develop systems less vulnerable to hacking, except by China.
2023: Leading 5G Equipment Manufacturer
As of 2023, Huawei is the leading 5G equipment manufacturer and has the greatest market share of 5G equipment, having built approximately 70% of worldwide 5G base stations.
2023: Telecoms-Network Equipment as Core Business
As of 2023, telecoms-network equipment remains Huawei's core area of business, which constituted half of its revenues for the year.
2023: Harmony OS Market Share Rises in China
Between mid-2021 and mid-2023, Harmony OS rose from no market share to 10% of the Chinese smartphone market, at the expense of Android.
2023: Luxeed Brand and S7 Vehicle Announced
In 2023, Huawei announced the Luxeed brand, a premium EV brand in cooperation with Chery. The first vehicle under this brand, the Luxeed S7, previously known as the Chery EH3, is expected to be unveiled in Q3 2023 and will feature Harmony OS 4.
2023: MetaERP Usage and Implementation
In 2023, after launch, the first batch of large-scale switching was carried out in May 14 midnight, across Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Central Asia, Southern Africa, and Latin America. The business covers ICT and Huawei Cloud, alongside terminals and other industries. Over thousands of employees in 75 countries use MetaERP in stable operation post-launch. MetaERP currently handles 100% of Huawei's internal business and most of the 80% of its business operations.
2023: Chinese Government Acknowledges NSA Hacking
In 2023, the Chinese government officially acknowledged that the NSA's hacking of Huawei's computer network, which had occurred in 2009, had taken place.
2023: Ranked 9th in Trademark Applications Filed Under the Madrid System
In 2023, the Madrid Yearly Review ranked Huawei's number of marks applications filed under the Madrid System as 9th in the world, with 78 trademarks applications submitted.
2023: Extended Deadline for Removing Core Huawei Equipment in the UK
The end of 2023 marks the extended deadline for removing core Huawei equipment from network functions in the UK, as initially set in October 2022.
2023: Top patent applicant for patents filled under the PCT
Yet, for the seventh consecutive year, Huawei remained the top patent applicant for patents filled under the PCT, with 6494 published applications in 2023.
January 2024: End of In-House Lobbying Operations in Washington, D.C.
In January 2024, Bloomberg News reported that Huawei ended its in-house lobbying operations in Washington, D.C.
January 2024: Netgear Sues Huawei for Antitrust Violations, Fraud, and Racketeering
In January 2024, Netgear, a computer networking company based in San Jose, California, filed a lawsuit with a California federal court against Huawei, claiming the company broke the United States antitrust law by withholding patent licenses, in addition to allegations of fraud and racketeering.
April 2024: Semiconductor Fabs Construction
As of April 2024, Huawei is also building or supporting the construction of five semiconductor fabs.
May 2024: U.S. Department of Commerce Revokes Export Licenses to Supply Huawei with Semiconductors
In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce revoked some export licenses that allow Intel and Qualcomm to supply Huawei with semiconductors.
June 2024: Deadline to Remove Huawei and ZTE Equipment in Canada
Network operators in Canada have until June 28, 2024, to remove Huawei and ZTE equipment already installed, following the May 2022 ban on the companies' 5G equipment.
June 2024: HarmonyOS installed on over 900 million devices
On 21 June 2024, Huawei announced that HarmonyOS is now installed on over 900 million devices and has become the second most popular mobile OS in China.
June 2024: Telcos must remove all ZTE- and Huawei-branded 5G equipment from their networks
Telcos will be prevented from procuring new 4G or 5G equipment from Huawei and ZTE and must remove all ZTE- and Huawei-branded 5G equipment from their networks by 28 June 2024.
July 2024: Opens Biggest R&D Center Near Shanghai
In July 2024, Huawei opened its biggest R&D center to date near Shanghai, accommodating nearly 35,000 personnel.
July 2024: Germany to Remove Chinese 5G Equipment by 2029
In July 2024, the German government announced a deal with telecommunication companies in the country to remove Chinese 5G equipment, including from Huawei, by 2029 due to security concerns.
November 2024: Plans for Mass Production of AI Chips
In November 2024, Huawei announced its plans to start mass-producing advanced artificial intelligence chips within the first quarter of 2025. This chip named Ascend 910C has been made by top Chinese contract chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) via its N+2 process.
2024: Telecommunications equipment is Huawei's biggest area of business
As of 2024, Huawei's biggest area of business is in telecommunications equipment, with the Chinese government as its largest customer.
2024: Emphasis on Research and Development
As of 2024, more than half of Huawei's employees are involved in research. In the same year, Huawei spent $22.1 billion on R&D, around 22.4% of its net sales, being one of the six companies in the world to spend more than $20 billion on R&D spending.
2024: Solar Products Sold Under "iStore" Brand
From 2024 onwards, some of Huawei's solar products are also sold under the "iStore" brand in Australia.
March 2025: Lobbyists Banned from European Parliament
In March 2025, Huawei lobbyists were banned from accessing the European Parliament following the arrests of several Huawei staff accused of bribery, forgery, and money laundering.
March 2025: FCC Investigates Huawei for Violating Restrictions
In March 2025, the FCC opened an investigation into Huawei and other Chinese companies regarding operations in the U.S. in violation of restrictions.
2025: Planned Mass Production of AI Chips
Huawei announced its plans to start mass-producing advanced artificial intelligence chips within the first quarter of 2025. This chip named Ascend 910C has been made by top Chinese contract chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) via its N+2 process.
2025: Accelerated purging of Huawei equipment from Britain's telecom infrastructure by 2025
In October 2020, the British Defence Select Committee announced that it had found evidence of Huawei's collusion with the Chinese state and that it supported accelerated purging of Huawei equipment from Britain's telecom infrastructure by 2025.
2027: Deadline for Phasing Out Huawei Gear in the UK's 5G Network
The end of 2027 remains the unchanged deadline for phasing out all Huawei gear from the UK's 5G network, as initially announced in 2020.
2028: ANSSI informed French telecommunications companies
In June 2020 ANSSI informed French telecommunications companies that they would not be allowed to renew licenses for 5G equipment made from Huawei after 2028.
2029: Deadline for Removing Chinese 5G Equipment in Germany
2029 is the deadline for the German government to remove Chinese 5G equipment, including from Huawei, as per the July 2024 agreement with telecommunication companies.
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