Beyond Self-Interest

When Ren Zhengfei， founder and CEO of Chinese telecom giant Huawei， spoke of his admiration for the iPhone ecosystem during a recent interview， he visualized a day when China and the U.S. would work together for universal benefi ts. His revelation that he buys Apple products for his family members may be a surprise to many， but building partnerships by engaging in fair competition and exploring comparative advantages is not a new idea.

At a time when Huawei is facing severe restrictions from the U.S. Government， this inclusive attitude is pertinent and inspirational. In trade as well as other areas， it is high time that the Donald Trump administration transcend its us-versus-them thinking and zero-sum mentality， in which there is but one winner.

Companies and countries have developed extensive shared interests following decades of globalization. Subsequently， an international supply chain has emerged with various components of a single product made in different countries and regions. This interlinked system has given rise to effi cient mass manufacturing and thriving trade， benefi ting consumers and stimulating growth.

These interwoven business ties have helped make the world a global community. Members of the community share weal and woe and depend on one another for a better future. As Huawei becomes a world-leading technology company， is it destined to clash with the U.S.？ The answer is not necessarily an affirmative. The fact is that Huawei and its U.S. suppliers rely on each other. Also， Huawei has expressed its willingness to learn from its more successful competitors.

However， the U.S. Government has targeted the Chinese company without producing substantive evidence. This has given people reason to wonder if there are ulterior motives behind its move， especially in the context of the ongoing trade war against China. Speculations abound that the Trump administration is going after Huawei as part of its efforts to contain China， adding fuel to antagonistic sentiment.

Politics aside， the proposed U.S. ban， which limits U.S. companies from doing business with Huawei， hurts Huawei suppliers， potentially affecting tens of thousands of jobs in the United States.

In an era of connectivity， an offensive move can easily backfi re. While enjoying the boom of globalization， countries should cope with their bust by taking the big picture into account. Cybersecurity， for one， is a daunting challenge confronting governments and individual Internet users. In China， subscriptions to mobile phone Internet total 1.29 billion. So the need for cybersecurity is huge. But instead of being a point of contention， it can be one of the sectors where China and the United States collaborate.

In whichever direction the Huawei case evolves， the vision for a shared future will remain clear. It is the belief of Ren and many likeminded people in China and other parts of the world. It should also be the basis on which hotly contested issues ranging from trade to security are tackled. n