Is Huawei, the gigantic Chinese tech firm, inseparable from the Chinese government? The U.S. government certainly thinks so, and in 2022, it banned sales of new Huawei products, fearing the Chinese could use them to spy on Americans. Meanwhile, Huawei denies that it is a government front.
 
Eva Dou, The Washington Post’s China business and economics correspondent, probes further into that question with “House of Huawei,” which follows the ascent of company founder Ren Zhengfei. He started off in a humble Shenzhen apartment in the 1980s—but these days he enjoys a corporate realm complete with an expansive R&D campus featuring a replica of Versailles. (Yes, really.) 

Dou does her work with evenhandedness, though I dare anyone to read “House of Huawei” and draw any conclusion other than that the U.S. is absolutely correct about Huawei. Even if the company isn’t a government stooge, it is unquestionably a distinctively Chinese firm. It operates in a manner that will seem, well, incredibly foreign to anyone familiar with Western business practices, complete with the politboro-esque “Shareholder’s Meeting” that sits atop its org chart.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721789/house-of-huawei-by-eva-dou/?utm_campaign=article_email&utm_content=article-14303&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sg

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House of Huawei by Eva Dou: 9780593544631 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

The Book Club 📚

Expats in China

Is Huawei, the gigantic Chinese tech firm, inseparable from the Chinese government? The U.S. government certainly thinks so, and in 2022, it banned sales of new Huawei products, fearing the Chinese could use them to spy on Americans. Meanwhile, Huawei denies that it is a government front.   Eva Dou, The Washington Post’s China business and economics correspondent, probes further into that question with “House of Huawei,” which follows the ascent of company founder Ren Zhengfei. He started off in a humble Shenzhen apartment in the 1980s—but these days he enjoys a corporate realm complete with an expansive R&D campus featuring a replica of Versailles. (Yes, really.)   Dou does her work with evenhandedness, though I dare anyone to read “House of Huawei” and draw any conclusion other than that the U.S. is absolutely correct about Huawei. Even if the company isn’t a government stooge, it is unquestionably a distinctively Chinese firm. It operates in a manner that will seem, well, incredibly foreign to anyone familiar with Western business practices, complete with the politboro-esque “Shareholder’s Meeting” that sits atop its org chart.  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721789/house-of-huawei-by-eva-dou/?utm_campaign=article_email&utm_content=article-14303&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sg   #The Book Club 📚   #Expats in China

Jerome Cody

The book provides a solid starting point for anyone curious about the rise of Huawei. It serves as a highly accessible overview of the tech giant's journey. The author meticulously chronicles the key events that shaped its trajectory from a small reseller to a global powerhouse. The book does a commendable job of charting the company's evolution, touching upon its relationship with the Chinese government, its expansion into global markets, and the subsequent controversies that have plagued it in recent years.

That said, the book is no "secret history," notwithstanding the subtitle. Anyone expecting a trove of previously undisclosed information may be left wanting. The book almost entirely relies on publicly available sources and previously reported details, meaning much of the content will be familiar to those who have followed Huawei's story through media coverage. The narrative stitches together these known facts cohesively, offering a comprehensive timeline but not significantly expanding the understanding of the company's inner workings.

Another area where the book falls short is its limited exploration of the products that fueled Huawei's phenomenal growth. There's a notable absence of detailed analysis of the technological innovations or strategic product decisions that propelled the company to the forefront of the telecommunications industry. No firsthand accounts from employees or former employees could have provided a different perspective on the company's culture and operations.

Despite these limitations, the book is a good one-stop place for anyone who wants to learn about this most enigmatic of the global giants.

The book provides a solid starting point for anyone curious about the rise of Huawei. It serves as a highly accessible overview of the tech giant's journey. The author meticulously chronicles the key events that shaped its trajectory from a small reseller to a global powerhouse. The book does a commendable job of charting the company's evolution, touching upon its relationship with the Chinese government, its expansion into global markets, and the subsequent controversies that have plagued it in recent years.  That said, the book is no "secret history," notwithstanding the subtitle. Anyone expecting a trove of previously undisclosed information may be left wanting. The book almost entirely relies on publicly available sources and previously reported details, meaning much of the content will be familiar to those who have followed Huawei's story through media coverage. The narrative stitches together these known facts cohesively, offering a comprehensive timeline but not significantly expanding the understanding of the company's inner workings.  Another area where the book falls short is its limited exploration of the products that fueled Huawei's phenomenal growth. There's a notable absence of detailed analysis of the technological innovations or strategic product decisions that propelled the company to the forefront of the telecommunications industry. No firsthand accounts from employees or former employees could have provided a different perspective on the company's culture and operations.  Despite these limitations, the book is a good one-stop place for anyone who wants to learn about this most enigmatic of the global giants.

Great read!  Ren Zhengfei is an important figure to follow!

Cici Zhao

Thought this would be a dry recounting of company building, but it turned out to be rather riveting - combining geopolitics, spying, and technological innovation with the human story of a former People’s Liberation Army engineer who became a global business titan

Jerome Cody

A group of likeminded people in The Book Club 📚 are talking about this.