The rise of Huawei, the controversial Chinese tech giant that rivals Apple and is seen as a US national security threat

Huawei's flagship store in Shanghai, China.Future Publishing / Getty

• Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company, has become one of the world's biggest tech names.
• It started off manufacturing equipment before venturing into smartphones and more.

Huawei has become one of the world's biggest, most controversial tech companies over nearly 40 years.

The Chinese tech giant started as one of the world's leading networking equipment producers, making items such as base stations, routers, modems, and switches that provide phone service and internet access worldwide.

It has expanded its product line to include wearable devices and, most notably, smartphones, which have become a major competitor to Apple's iPhone in China.

The company had about 207,000 employees as of 2023 and operates in over 170 countries and regions. In the same year, Huawei hit nearly $100 billion in revenue and more than $12 billion in profit.

Ren Zhengfei, the CEO and founder of Huawei, came from humble beginnings but was worth $1 billion as of 2022, according to Forbes.

Still, the company has been mired in controversy, with the US accusing the Chinese company of stealing trade secrets.

Here's how a tiny IT technology firm in China became a rival to Apple — and became seen as a national security threat in parts of the world.