Asked about Chinese retaliation to the U.S.’s Huawei moves, Cui said “we will do whatever’s necessary to protect the legitimate interests of our companies, of our people and of our country.”

“If things are moving in the wrong direction, then you could see a response very soon,” he said about the timetable for a Huawei response. “But if we could work together to push in the right direction, then things will get better of course.”