Taiwanese prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for Pete Lau, the CEO and co-founder of Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus, accusing him of involvement in illegal business operations and unauthorised recruitment activities on the island. The move is part of Taipei’s intensified efforts to prevent technology transfers and talent poaching by Chinese firms amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
According to Taiwan’s Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office, a document dated November 2025 indicts two Taiwanese citizens for assisting Lau in illegally operating a business and recruiting more than 70 employees in Taiwan. These hires were allegedly tasked with conducting smartphone software application research and development, verification, and testing for OnePlus.
Arrest warrant for OnePlus CEO in Taiwan
The allegations stem from violations of Taiwan’s Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (commonly known as the Cross-Strait Act), which strictly prohibits Chinese companies from setting up operations or hiring local talent without explicit government approval. Reports indicate that OnePlus may have used indirect methods, such as shell companies registered in Hong Kong or foreign entities, to circumvent these restrictions since as early as 2014–2015.
Taiwan has become a prime target for Chinese tech companies seeking high-skilled engineers due to shared language and the island’s world-class expertise in semiconductors and consumer electronics. However, authorities view such recruitment as a threat to national security and economic interests, prompting a broader crackdown.
This case follows similar investigations in recent years, including raids on 34 locations in 2025 targeting 11 Chinese tech firms (including Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp or SMIC) accused of using disguised branches to hire Taiwanese staff. In August 2025, probes expanded to 16 additional Chinese companies suspected of talent poaching in high-tech sectors.
OnePlus and Oppo yet to comment
Neither OnePlus nor its parent company Oppo (under which OnePlus operates as an independent sub-brand since 2021) has issued an official statement on the development as of now. Pete Lau, a prominent figure in the Chinese mobile industry and Oppo’s chief product officer, faces potential arrest if he enters Taiwan.
The warrant highlights escalating cross-birder tensions, with Taiwan actively safeguarding its tech talent pool against mainland China’s growing ambitions in the smartphone and semiconductor industries.
