OnePlus CEO Pete Lau Faces Arrest Warrant in Taiwan

Taiwanese authorities have issued an active arrest warrant for Pete Lau, the co-founder and chief executive officer of OnePlus, concerning alleged breaches of laws related to the recruitment of local technology talent by mainland Chinese companies, as reported by Bloomberg.

Allegations Against Pete Lau

Prosecutors in Taipei’s Shilin district have indicted Lau along with two Taiwanese individuals who are accused of acting on his behalf. The indictment claims that the group illegally recruited over 70 Taiwanese engineers to work for OnePlus and its sister brand Oppo in China, according to Bloomberg. Lau continues to hold the positions of CEO at OnePlus and chief product officer at Oppo.

Background of the Investigation

The investigation focuses on recruitment activities that authorities allege have been ongoing since 2014. According to Taiwan’s Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Chinese enterprises are prohibited from employing Taiwanese professionals without prior governmental permission.

Protection of Taiwan’s Workforce

This law aims to safeguard Taiwan’s semiconductor and electronics industries, which are essential to the island’s economy, from the theft of intellectual property and the migration of skilled professionals to mainland rivals.

A Broader Crackdown on Talent Poaching

This case is part of a wider initiative by Taiwan to combat what it terms the poaching of high-tech talent by Chinese corporations. Authorities have previously executed arrest warrants for executives from other companies, including Apple supplier Luxshare Precision Industry Co., as reported by Bloomberg.

Taiwan’s government has not yet commented on any potential extradition processes. OnePlus has stated that its business operations are proceeding as usual.