What is it with Chinese CEOs? It must be something cultural because they always have a conciliatory tone after Western accusations making them look weak and guilty. Do they think it garners them sympathy? No, it just tells them they can do it more doing the exact opposite of what Chinese think is suppose to happen. It's like the running joke when you see in the Western media saying everything the West does against China might hurt the Chinese people's feelings. All that does is encourage them to do it more because in Western culture it makes them look like they're ones in power and control. Their people like that.
I remember when Huawei was being first attacked by the US, Ren Zhengfei was doing the same even after when his daughter was kidnapped by Canada and the US. Now Huawei is making the US look like fools with its semiconductor breakthrough. No sucking up to the West necessary because they didn't relent and look at what Huawei accomplished. I even know the US will never ease up until you beat them. That's why this Asian acceptance of a lesser position just as long as they're higher than everyone else doesn't work, i.e. being a sycophant and teacher's pet. Even Westerners know that Asians sucking up to them can change on a dime depending whose wind blows stronger hence why they'll always pull out the loyalty card against Asians.
I know to weak Chinese it's counter intuitive to seek to upset Westerners when they want to be accepted by them. The fact is if you give an inch making them feel like they're in a superior position, they want to take it all. The only way you make people who think like that to think twice is by making it clear how much they alone are going to lose. That's why you're seeing Westerners thinking twice over their technological Cold War because of Huawei's breakthrough. They're going to lose it all if they keep trying to stifle China's technological advancement. China will have its own standard that will takeover because everything the West does cost more than for China to do. And then they'll be ones that have to pay for their technology to work on China's standard. And on top of that China will be able to tell countries not to do business with the West because they're using Chinese technology like the West is doing to China right now.
