Taiwan has issued an arrest warrant for the CEO of Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus, escalating its efforts to prevent the loss of sensitive technology and engineering talent to China.
Prosecutors in Taipei say CEO and co-founder Pete Lau is accused of illegally recruiting more than 70 Taiwanese engineers over the past decade. Two Taiwanese nationals who worked with him have also been indicted, as authorities claim the hiring violated laws governing relations between Taiwan and mainland China.
The move highlights Taiwan’s tougher stance on protecting its tech sector, especially semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, which officials view as critical to national security. Since President Lai Ching-te took office in 2024, the government has increased scrutiny of Chinese firms suspected of poaching talent or accessing intellectual property.
Lau, a well-known figure in China’s tech industry and a senior executive at Oppo, has not publicly commented on the case. OnePlus said in a statement that its business operations remain normal and unaffected.
Taiwanese authorities say Chinese companies often target the island for recruitment because of shared language and its deep pool of skilled engineers, but recent cases show Taipei is increasingly willing to take legal action to stop what it sees as strategic risks.