Huawei’s CEO wants his employees to watch a TV show about the Chinese Communist Party

Ahead of the 100th anniversary of China’s ruling Communist Party on July 1, Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei used the opportunity of a company forum to answer questions from some of the employees of his embattled Chinese technology giant, which remains blacklisted by the US. The once-reclusive businessman tends to make headlines pretty much anytime he speaks in public or in private. But this time, his remarks not only offered a mix of philosophy and corporate statesmanship. They also spread a bit of propaganda that China’s political leadership would surely have approved of. Especially during this milestone moment for the nation.

Huawei and its billionaire founder once recoiled at the notion that the company is too entangled with China’s totalitarian regime. The Trump administration, remember, pushed that idea -- hard. Whether it's true or not, that's why US officials decided the company is too radioactive to do business with. Huawei, of course, insists that it's independent and not some kind of corporate handmaiden of China's government. Zhengfei even went so far as to invite President Trump for a visit at one point, perhaps as an olive branch of sorts. Nevertheless, Zhengfei has said in the past the US took the actions that it did because Huawei stands “at the top of the world.” And now? Zhengfei is more or less carrying the water of China’s Communist Party itself.