In remarks to state media outlet People’s Daily, reposted by Global Times, Ren said Huawei pours 180 billion yuan (~$25bn) a year into R&D, with a third devoted to theoretical research, which he said was essential, “or we’ll never catch up to the US.”
The Trump administration recently unveiled plans to severely clamp down on hardware from Huawei, making it so that any use of the company’s Ascend chips anywhere in the world would violate US export controls.
When asked about dealing with “external blockades and suppression,” Ren said he hasn’t thought about it, adding: “Thinking is useless. Don't dwell on difficulties, just take action and move forward step by step.”
The Huawei CEO said the Chinese firm “isn't that powerful yet” in terms of chips and that it needs to “work hard to live up to” the US’s evaluation.
“We use mathematics to compensate for physics, non-Moore's Law approaches to complement Moore's Law, and group computing to make up for single-chip limitations, which can also achieve practical results,” he added.
Huawei’s Ascend chips are the leading domestic contender to take advantage of the US authorities barring Nvidia from exporting its high-end hardware to China, a move repeatedly decried by both the company and CEO Jensen Huang.
However, persistent technical challenges, including slower inter-chip connectivity and issues with the related Cann software, have alienated some local developers looking for an alternative after Nvidia’s exit.
Ren suggested the criticism keeps the brand “more clear-headed,” adding: “We make products, and it's normal for people to criticise them when they use them. We allow criticism.
“As long as it's truthful, even if it's critical, we support it. Don't pay too much attention to either praise or criticism; focus on whether we can do our job well. If we do our job well, there's no problem.”
Huawei recently launched AI CloudMatrix 384, a new rack-scale AI system aimed at rivalling Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72, with its purported 300 petaflops of computational capacity already attracting several local developers.
Despite facing sanctions from the US, Ren suggested there was “no need to worry about the chip issue”.
“By leveraging methods such as superposition and clustering, computational results can match the most advanced global standards,” the Huawei CEO said. “In terms of software, thousands upon thousands of open-source software will meet the needs of the entire society in the future.”
For Ren, long-term endurance, not hype, is what he considers the key to progress in the semiconductor space. “We must understand theoretical scientists with strategic patience,” he said, calling for societal support of those whose breakthroughs may take decades to surface.
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