Tayvan’da OnePlus CEO’su Pete Lau hakkında yakalama kararı çıkarıldı.

The Taiwanese authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Pete Lau, the CEO of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus, citing alleged illegal employment practices within Taiwan. It has been reported that the warrant stems from accusations that OnePlus has illegally employed over 70 engineers in Taiwan without the required permits. Along with Lau, two Taiwanese citizens working for OnePlus have also been formally charged. This incident is regarded as a significant example in the context of the delicate economic and legal balance between Taiwan and China.

The Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office, which is conducting the investigation, claims that OnePlus established a shell company based in Hong Kong to conceal its operations. According to the prosecutors, this entity was created under a different name and opened a branch in Taiwan in 2015 without obtaining the necessary approvals from the Taiwanese government, conducting research and development for OnePlus smartphones in the process. Authorities assert that such activities blatantly violate Taiwanese laws.

Taiwanese prosecutors argue that OnePlus aimed to utilize local engineering talents through these means, but did so in violation of existing legal frameworks. There are strict regulations governing the employment of personnel by companies based in mainland China in Taiwan. Central to these regulations is the “Cross-Strait Relations Act,” which mandates that Chinese companies must obtain government approval prior to hiring Taiwanese employees. The prosecutors allege that OnePlus established a long-term employment structure without ever acquiring this permission.

Authorities contend that the alleged violations are not merely individual mistakes but indicative of a systematically planned organizational effort. Despite this, OnePlus has yet to provide a comprehensive public statement regarding the matter. The fact that the company’s headquarters is located in China, and the CEO resides outside of Taiwan, complicates the legal proceedings further. Nonetheless, it has been indicated that Taiwanese judicial authorities are prepared to advance the process within the framework of international law.

In recent years, Taiwan has tightened its scrutiny of the activities of Chinese tech companies on the island. Particularly, the unauthorized employment of engineers in strategic fields such as semiconductors, hardware design, and software development has been viewed as a national security risk and a challenge to economic competition. Consequently, this case is being seen as a precedent that could impact not only OnePlus but also other tech companies operating in the region.