Taiwan Issues Arrest Warrant for OnePlus CEO Pete Lau

Taiwanese prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for Pete Lau, the CEO and cofounder of smartphone maker OnePlus, accusing him of illegally recruiting more than 70 engineers from the island to work for the company in mainland China. The Shilin District Prosecutors Office announced the charges this week, alleging that the hiring violated regulations governing cross-strait relations between Taiwan and China.

The case centers on activities dating back to 2014, when OnePlus, under Lau's leadership, reportedly established a shell company in Hong Kong to facilitate the recruitment. Prosecutors say the firm, which later changed its name to Hong Kong Sonic Sky Consultancy, set up a branch in Taiwan in 2015 without obtaining required government approval. This branch focused on software development and testing for OnePlus devices, with engineers ultimately working in China for OnePlus or its parent company, Oppo, where Lau also serves as chief product officer. Between 2015 and 2021, OnePlus transferred around 73 million through the Hong Kong entity to fund research and development efforts tied to the Taiwanese operation.

Two Taiwanese nationals who assisted in the recruitment process...