Embattled Huawei fights for slice of European market at fair

Barcelona: At the world’s biggest mobile fair underway in Spain this week, only one major handset maker opted to take part in person: China’s embattled Huawei whose business has been battered by sanctions imposed by the United States which considers it a spy threat.

Samsung, the world’s top smartphone maker, Nokia and other major telecoms firms pulled out of attending the four-day Mobile World Congress (MWC) which got underway Monday in Barcelona, citing virus concerns, although some are taking part virtually.

But with its business under pressure from the US sanctions, Huawei is eager to fight for its slice of the lucrative European market for smartphones and 5G wireless network equipment and could not afford to stay away from the event, analysts said.