Taiwan issues arrest warrant for OnePlus CEO Pete Lau over illegal talent hiring: Report

Taiwanese authorities have issued an active arrest warrant for Pete Lau, co-founder and chief executive officer of smartphone maker OnePlus, over alleged violations of laws governing the recruitment of local technology talent by mainland Chinese firms, Bloomberg reported.

Prosecutors in Taipei’s Shilin district have indicted Lau alongside two Taiwanese citizens accused of acting on his behalf, alleging the group illegally recruited more than 70 Taiwanese engineers to work for OnePlus and its sister brand Oppo in China, according to Bloomberg. Lau currently serves as CEO of OnePlus and chief product officer at Oppo.

The investigation centres on recruitment activities that prosecutors say have been taking place since 2014. Under Taiwan’s Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Chinese companies are barred from hiring Taiwanese professionals without prior government approval.

The law is aimed at protecting Taiwan’s semiconductor and electronics sectors, cornerstones of the island’s economy, from the loss of intellectual property and skilled workers to mainland competitors.

The case is part of a broader crackdown by Taiwan on what it describes as the poaching of high-tech talent by Chinese companies. Authorities have previously issued arrest warrants for executives at other manufacturers, including Apple supplier Luxshare Precision Industry Co., Bloomberg reported.

Taiwan’s government has yet to comment on possible extradition efforts. OnePlus said its business operations are continuing as normal.