France to host Huawei’s first European factory, an insider claims

Huawei just can’t stand still. Just the other day, the Chinese giant said in 2024 they will release "leading, innovative and disruptive" products and now, they’re apparently going to France to build a factory next year.

Reuters reports on information from a source familiar with the matter. Huawei’s first European plant is exciting news when one takes into account that many states in Europe restrict the use of equipment made by Huawei and China’s ZTE over “security concerns”. Add the worsening US-China relations to the mix (remember what the Huawei Mate 60 Pro premiere did to some US officials?) and you get real high-tech vaudeville entertainment.

The plans for a 2024 French Huawei factory are actually from 2020, but things got delayed by the Covid pandemic. What's known is that the plant could be built in Brumath, near Strasbourg, but there’s no information about when it’s going to be up and running. So far, Huawei has not responded to the Reuters request for comment.

In 2020, Huawei said it would invest 200 million euros (approximately $215 million) in building a mobile phone network equipment factory in the east of France. The plans back then had it that the plant would initially employ 300 people, growing to 500 in the longer term, and its products would go to Huawei's European clients.

All in all, France has a special relationship with Huawei. Back in July 2023, China's Vice Premier He Lifeng and French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire attended the China-France Economic and Financial Dialogue in Beijing, China. At those discussions, China stated that it hoped France could “stabilize the tone” of EU-China relations. This is important for France, as China is France's third largest trade partner behind the EU and the USA and French business is becoming increasingly concerned it could get caught in the crossfire of rising rivalry between the world's two economic superpowers.