Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei along with his family has left China, according to multiple to social media posts.The unverified rumours started circulating online around September 12 as alleged internal Huawei chat screenshots surfaced referring to developments at the company's headquarters in Shenzhen, according to a report by Canada-based digital publication Wccftech.
There was a heavy police presence at Huawei's headquarter, social media posts said, however there is no independent verification of the claim, while some others then linked the alleged that Ren Zhengfei and members of his family had left China through the coastal area near Shenzhen.
The report further stressed similar posts were circulating on Chinese social media and these claims had not been independently verified. It further mentioned that the rumours appeared shortly before China's new exit-control rules came into force. NDTV Profit could not independently verify these claims.
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What prompted the latest claim?
The reported development comes as China has tightened rules for citizens to leave the country. As per the latest travel rules, authorities hold expanded power to issue exit bans, signaling an unprecedented level of state control over Chinese nationals worldwide. In case Beijing decides a citizen harmed the country's security or interests while traveling, they can be banned from leaving China for up to three years after they come back. The same travel ban applies to anyone caught breaking technology import and export laws.
The timing has sparked speculation online about Ren Zhengfei. However, the new travel restrictions do not confirm that the Huawei founder has left China.
According to Chinese authorities, these measures are aimed to safeguard national sovereignty and security and insist they are not to restricting ordinary citizens. The rules target high-risk individuals and destinations and are designed to prevent citizens from being deceived into travelling abroad or becoming involved in illegal gambling and scams, reports said.
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