Yeah I know about the fork. Is HongMeng a fork or an original?
Depends on how you define fork.
HongMeng from a overall perspective is originated or based on Android, but with quite some differences. When that difference is big enough, it is not (or could become not) another Android.
The one thing I've heard is that HongMeng is more of a binary OS that applications are compiled to binary code running directly on HW. Android on the other hand was and still is (to a lesser extent) a Interpretive execution machine that is Byte code running on a VM. It is slow.
Another difference is the security part of Huawei's Chinese phone is based on HongMeng, disconnected from Android.
So you can see that, with bits and pieces replaced or changed, very soon HongMeng in its final shape would be very different from Android.
Under Trump the momentum to decouple from US tech is likely to continue but I'm more worried if a China-friendly (seeming) US leader causes a lot of generous goodwill gestures to fly, which may be dangerous to the new OS as it's not likely to be well-established yet by 2020. By 2024 it will be much stronger. But if Huawei signs with Google again to use Android on some of its phones, wouldn't it once again be subject to the Google stipulation of not creating an Android-based new OS?
Once Huawei moves away from Google, there should be no return. This is simply to make sure today won't be repeated, no "friendly gestures" is enough.
However, under certain circumstance Huawei can choose to use Android on their phones sold in Europe as the customers there wish. Huawei should also engage Google if climate becomes better in the future only for commercial reasons.
I think Ren Zhengfei has made it very clear and very balanced in a speech, self-reliance and no self-isolation.