In a rare interview, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei made a clear point: pressure won't stop China's tech progress.

While US chip restrictions are tightening, Ren acknowledged that Huawei's single-chip performance still lags behind the US by one generation — but the company is catching up.

Huawei now invests 60 billion yuan annually in theoretical research — with no KPIs attached. "Even the most lush tree falls without roots," Ren said.

On the broader development of AI, he believes China holds a key advantage — not only due to its infrastructure and power supply, but also thanks to its millions of young minds, its data computing strategy, and its robust telecom network.