Huawei's founder informed Xi Jinping during a meeting with private sector leaders that concerns regarding China's reliance on foreign chips and operating systems have diminished, as reported by Chinese state media.
On Friday, the People's Daily published an article summarizing discussions between Xi and prominent company founders, including Ren Zhengfei of Huawei, Wang Chuanfu of BYD, and Lei Jun of Xiaomi, which took place on Monday.
The public discourse surrounding the meeting, attended by six founders while notable figures like Liang Wenfeng of DeepSeek and Jack Ma of Alibaba observed, has been tightly regulated. Previously, state media only disclosed Xi's comments without revealing the founders' statements.
Ren conveyed to Xi that the apprehensions about a "lack of core and soul" in China's technology sector had lessened, expressing confidence that "a greater China will rise faster," according to the People's Daily. The term "lack of core and soul" originates from a 1999 remark by a former Chinese technology minister, where "core" pertains to semiconductors and "soul" refers to operating systems.
Huawei has played a pivotal role in Xi's vision for China to achieve greater self-sufficiency, particularly in the face of U.S. sanctions, by developing its own advanced chips and operating systems. During the meeting,
Wang highlighted the progress of China's electric vehicle industry, which has evolved from its inception to an impressive status, while Lei assured Xi that under his leadership, any challenges posed by changing international circumstances could be surmounted, as noted by the People's Daily.
The other three entrepreneurs who contributed to the discussion were from Will Semiconductor, Unitree, a humanoid robot manufacturer, and New Hope Group, the largest feed producer in China, according to the People's Daily.