Recently, there has been a viral rumor on the internet about the founder of Huawei, Ren Zhengfei, and his family allegedly “fleeing.” However, on September 22nd, Ren Zhengfei made a public appearance and held a meeting with Feng Changjun, the general manager of Dongfeng Motors in Shenzhen, Guangdong.
According to a report by China National Radio’s website today, Feng Changjun met with Ren Zhengfei and representatives of Huawei in Shenzhen on the 22nd.
The joint venture between Dongfeng Motors Group and Huawei is set to launch its first flagship car model under the Yijing brand, the Yijing X9, on the 24th.
It is reported that after the meeting, Ren Zhengfei received a briefing on the Yijing X9 product.
The report also released a photo of Ren Zhengfei with Feng Changjun.
This public appearance is seen as a way to dispel rumors that have been circulating.
Earlier this month, there were startling reports on the internet about Ren Zhengfei and his family mysteriously losing contact, with speculation even suggesting they might have left China by sea. Huawei and Ren Zhengfei have not publicly responded to these rumors.
Although Ren Zhengfei’s second daughter, Yao Anna, has been seen frequently recently, the absence of Ren Zhengfei and his eldest daughter, Meng Wanzhou, has fueled continued speculation. Rumors, including whether Ren Zhengfei will make an appearance, have been circulating, with even the largest global prediction platform, Polymarket, offering bets on it.
Chinese affairs expert Li Linyi previously stated that Ren Zhengfei’s rumored escape may not be true, but as long as he and Meng Wanzhou do not appear, more negative rumors will continue to arise. These rumors may represent a backlash against the Chinese Communist Party elite, deliberately amplified, but it cannot be ruled out that Ren Zhengfei and his daughters are going through a crisis, obscured by the opaque operations of the Chinese system, making it difficult for the truth to be known to the outside world.