Taiwan moves to arrest OnePlus CEO over illegal hiring, steps up push against China

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus is on focus as Taiwan prosecutors on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for the company's chief executive officer on allegations of being involved in illegal business and recruitment activities in Taiwan.

The Shilin District Prosecutors Office in Taiwan said it had indicted two Taiwanese citizens on the charge of helping OnePlus CEO Pete Lau. The individuals have been charged for helping Lau with illegally operating a business and recruiting more than 70 employees in China, according to a report by Reuters.

What are the allegations against Pete Lau?

The allegations against the OnePlus CEO fall under Taiwanese law governing relations with China.

According to the prosecutors in Taiwan, OnePlus hired over 70 employees in the territory to conduct smartphone software application research and development, verification and testing for the Chinese smartphone maker.

Pete Lau has been accused of violating the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.

OnePlus is headquartered in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. It became an independent sub-brand under Oppo in 2021, according to its website.

Lau plays a pivotal role also at Oppo’s phone launches as its chief product officer.

Oppo and OnePlus have not issued any statement regarding the development.

Why is this significant?

The development is significant given the geopolitical scenario considering China and Taiwan. Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has time and again used force to bring it under its control. Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.

Now, the tech expertise of Taiwan has made it a focal point among Chinese companies seeking talent. In retaliation, the Taiwanese authorities have blocked such efforts, which they say have included using shell companies registered in Hong Kong or foreign entities, or dispatching staff through hiring agencies to conceal their identities.

In August 2025, Taiwan authorities said they were investigating 16 Chinese companies for allegedly poaching semiconductor and other high-tech talent, amid growing concerns over technology outflows.

Last year, Taiwanese investigators raided 34 locations as part of a probe into the recruiting practices of 11 Chinese tech companies, including Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. Taiwan’s Investigation Bureau said at the time that SMIC had set up a branch in Taiwan, disguised as a Samoan entity, to hire local staff.

Tuesday's move was yet another example of the series of actions Taipei has taken to counter China's tech industry as its wields its own technological power to gain influence.

(With agency inputs)