Taiwan issues arrest warrant for OnePlus CEO.

Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus. Photo: Reuters .

Prosecutors in Taiwan (China) have issued an arrest warrant for Pete Lau, co-founder and CEO of OnePlus. According to Bloomberg , this is the latest move by the island to prevent Chinese technology companies from recruiting talent from Taiwan.

According to the indictment from the Shilin District Prosecutor's Office, CEO Pete Lau was issued an arrest warrant along with two Taiwanese employees working for him. OnePlus, a smartphone manufacturer running a customized version of Android, is suspected of illegally employing more than 70 Taiwanese engineers.

Recently, Taiwan has stepped up its efforts to prevent companies in China from recruiting workers. Taiwanese officials are concerned that recruiting talent in the semiconductor and other technology sectors could threaten national security.

Last year, Taiwanese investigators raided 34 locations across the island following an investigation into the recruitment practices of 11 Chinese technology companies, including chipmaker SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp).

At the time, investigators said SMIC had established an office in Taiwan, disguised as a company based in Samoa, to recruit talent.

Pete Lau is one of the prominent founders of the Chinese tech industry, who led OnePlus to become a global smartphone brand thanks to its product quality. The OnePlus brand is now owned by Oppo, a leading Chinese smartphone manufacturer.

In an official statement, OnePlus emphasized that business operations were proceeding normally. Lau and his accomplices were charged with violating a law enacted by Taiwan concerning relations between Taiwanese and mainland Chinese citizens.

According to Bloomberg , Taiwan has become a preferred destination for talent recruitment for companies in mainland China due to linguistic similarities. The island also boasts some of the world's most highly qualified tech figures.

Taiwan does not allow Chinese companies to establish branches or hire employees without prior approval. However, there have been numerous cases of Chinese businesses opening offices in Taiwan, falsely claiming to be foreign or local companies to conduct business.

In March 2025, investigators said they had launched more than 100 investigations into Chinese companies illegally recruiting engineers from Taiwan since establishing a task force dedicated to these investigations in 2020.