Huawei has gradually dismantled its public relations and government relations teams in the US and Canada, according to people familiar with the matter, reports Nikkei Asia. Employees have been let go over the past few months including several right after the New Year. Some have worked for Huawei for about a decade and were upset about the news, but others saw the decision coming given worsening US-China relations, according to several sources.
While the total number of jobs affected is relatively small, with only a handful of managerial roles involved, the move is significant as an indication of the company’s outlook for the US market.
Huawei expanded its public relations and government relations efforts in North America when it was first put on the US government’s blacklist in 2019. Around the same time, Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver, Canada, at the request of the US, which was seeking her extradition over alleged fraud.