For two years, Huawei had been funding U.S. research and awarded scientists millions in prize money. All of the funneling was handled by Optica Foundation, with its CEO Elizabeth Rogan, who previously stated that there was nothing unusual about this practice. U.S. lawmakers later criticized the organization, believing Optica Foundation had compromised the ability of U.S. research institutions to comply with the law. A ton of events likely happened under our noses because the partnership between the two companies has now ended.
In addition to cutting ties with Huawei, Rogan says that all of the funds donated by the Chinese firm for 2024 and the two years prior will be returned, ending what could have been a fruitful business alliance. According to Bloomberg, Rogan wrote the following in a letter to the Optica Board of Directors:
On the previous occasion, Rogan sided with Huawei, and has also stated that the Optica Foundation’s Board was well aware of the company’s involvement with an entity that was on the U.S. export control list. A Huawei spokesperson previously attempted to allay all security concerns, saying that the reason why the former Chinese giant’s name was kept private was because it wanted to prevent the competition from being viewed as a promotional event.
It is likely that Optica Foundations’ Chief Executive was subjected to immense pressure from the U.S. authorities to sever any connection with Huawei. Rogan had earlier mentioned that some donors preferred to remain anonymous, and there was nothing illegal about partnering with an overseas organization. Unfortunately, when word broke out about this alliance, it traveled fast enough that it reached the Biden administration’s ears in little time, and they did quick work to ensure that
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