Hongyuan Li (Li Hongyuan)

Hongyuan Li (Li Hongyuan)

Biography

2019: Arrest after the requirement to pay compensation for dismissal from Huawei

At the beginning of December, 2019 the Chinese telecommunication corporation Huawei was criticized in own country as the employee of the company demanded compensation for dismissal, and he was arrested for racketing for eight months.

In January, 2018 Li Hongyuan who worked 13 years in Huawei was arrested on a charge of racketing. He was in custody till August and was released in connection with "insufficiency of proofs", according to court documents.

According to 35-year-old Li, he agreed with Huawei about compensation for dismissal in the amount of 300,000 yuans (about $43,000). The amount was transferred to it through the personal account of the secretary, and Li was accused of racketing after a while. This case caused a criticism wave concerning the appeal of the company with the old employee. Huawei did not confirm the claim and did not comment on charge.

In the open letter addressed to the founder of Huawei Ren Zhengfeya Li wrote: "I was not going to draw so much attention on the Internet, and I regret for it. However I do not regret that I decided to tell the truth. Honesty always costs much".

Huawei, one of the most popular brands in the country and the character of national pride, seldom is exposed to criticism in the homeland. When the company faced charges of the American government, the Chinese citizens supported Huawei, buying up smartphones of its production. However after Li published court documents in network and told the story, sympathies of citizens were on the side not of the company.

Many accuse company executives of hypocrisy. One user wrote in comments on a post of the head of the company:

"Li Hongyuan worked for you more than ten years, and having left the company, it appeared because of you in prison... Why you refuse to others the common human laws?"[1]

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