China: Suicide at tech giant Huawei

Following up on one blogger's lead, some comments on yet another staff suicide at tech company Huawei this week which for many reinforces the company's popular image of having one of the toughest workplace environments in the country.

Twenty-five year-old Li Dongbing's suicide is being reported as the 37th—a number questioned by some [zh]—in the company's 20-year history, and as with the reports from the second half of 2007 of Zhang Rui and Zhao Bing's suicides and Qiao Xiangying's sudden death due to over-exhaustion while in a company washroom, some revere the competitive culture at Huawei, many scrutinize it, and even more find ways to relate to it.

‘Is Huawei cursed?’ It had been accused by Cisco in a 2003 lawsuit, later dropped, of ripping off the company's IOS operating system. News reports are quoting insiders with various rumors: Li had just lost big on the stock market; his microwave transmission project had been canceled; he was in debt; he wasn't meeting company performance standards, an assertion many refute [zh]. Huawei Human Resources issued a statement which said it be cooperating with police, who today released a statement saying Li had been having relationship problems.

Comments from leading tech site CNBeta as it followed the story with insider photos:

匿名人士 发表于 2008-02-26 14:35:49
华为的确该反思,为什么这事老发生在自己身上,自身肯定有原因的。

Huawei really needs to think about this, why this keeps happening to them. Surely Huawei itself is part of the reason.

匿名人士 发表于 2008-02-26 14:38:34
又一个……
好女不嫁华为男哦,免得当寡妇。

Yet another….
Smart women, don't marry Huawei men. Don't end up widows.

匿名人士 发表于 2008-02-26 15:17:36
以为他是因为炒股才跳楼的同学都被骗了

我在成都 里面有人
刚才华为内部开会统一口径 必须说这是炒股
但是实际上和过去华为所有自杀的人原因是一样的

至于楼上还有一口咬定是炒股死的人我只能说你要么是被骗了要么是被统一了口径

Anyone who thinks he jumped because of stock losses has been fooled.I'm in Chengdu, and I know someone there.
A meeting was just held at Huawei to make sure everybody sticks to the same story, that he lost on the stock market
When in fact the reason is the same as all the other people at Huawei who've killed themselves in the pastAs for those above insistent it was the stock market that killed him, I can only say you've either been lied to, or else you're just repeating what you've been told to say.

匿名人士 发表于 2008-02-26 14:47:37
华为又为中国的计划生育事业做出了卓越的贡献
为2008年,新的跳跃式发展,开了一个好头
华为所有的分,子公司应该租底楼

What an outstanding contribution to China's birth control policy Huawei has yet again made
What a good start to 2008, growth with a new leap-approach
All Huawei's offices and subsidiaries ought to rent spaces lower in the building

Boying 发表于 2008-02-26 14:50:20
晚上给领导托个梦,谁要是再封锁消息,我就把谁带走!

Tonight I'm going to show up in my director's dream and tell him: the next person who covers up information, I'm taking him away!

zhangxiaolu_193935.jpg

Comments on the NetEase Tech story today in which police claimed relationship troubles:

网易北京石景山网友 [西门大灌人]:
2008-02-28 09:28:30 发表
压力那么大,哪有时间培养感情

Beijing:
With such heavy pressure, who could have the time to pursue a relationship

网易湖北黄冈网友 ip:121.62.*.*:
2008-02-28 09:30:34 发表
昨天还说是欠下了巨债,今天又说是感情问题!!
原来,感情是一笔债!!

Hubei:
Yesterday they said he was in huge debt, and today they say he had relationship troubles!!
I see, love is just a financial debt!!

网易四川成都网友 [支点]:
2008-02-28 09:34:06 发表
中国的这些企业,比资本主义还资本主义

Sichuan:
These Chinese corporations, they're more capitalist than Capitalism itself.

网易广东东莞网友 ip:59.36.*.*:
2008-02-28 09:53:47 发表
能说是华为的责任吗?就算华为肯承认,我想当地政府也不会允许华为承认吧?更何况华为根本就不承认!

Guangdong:
Can you say this is Huawei's responsibility? Even if Huawei were willing to admit it, I don't think the local government would let them, right? Either way, Huawei won't ever admit to being responsible!

网易江苏南京网友 ip:58.217.*.*:
2008-02-28 09:55:37 发表
从某个侧面反映了公司的文化,我断定,他不是最后一个自杀者。

Jiangsu:
In one aspect this does reflect the company's culture. I reckon he won't be the last person there to commit suicide.

网易福建福州网友 ip:59.56.*.*:
2008-02-28 09:56:39 发表
我在读大学的时候,基本上每年学校里都有出现同学自杀或者精神出问题。我们班40个同学里,还出现了一个因为感情问题精神崩溃,最后退学的。那么大的公司,几万个员工,出现这样的问题很正常吧。

Fujian:
When I was in university, pretty much every year there would people killing themselves or having psychological problems. Of our class of 40 undergrads, one person had an emotional breakdown because of relationship troubles, and ended up dropping out. In such a big company, tens of thousands of employees, I'd say the appearance of things like this are quite normal.

网易北京网友 ip:221.221.*.*:
2008-02-28 10:25:06 发表
Yesterday they said he was in huge debt, and today they say he had relationship troubles!!
I see, love is just a financial debt!!

这么说吧,华为的产值很高,在国际上也有竞争力,表面上是高科技。其实根本就没什么科技含量。就是一个高技术的工厂。其能够生存下来,完全是靠寄生在目前电信运营商身上,而运营商是个寄生在广大群众身上的,所以说,华为实际也是一个寄生虫。

Beijing:
How to put this. Huawei has a high output value, is competitive internationally, and appears hi-tech on the surface. But in reality what it produces isn't technology. It's just a hi-tech factory. The only thing that keeps it alive are parasites inside the current telecom operators, and the operators are a parasite in the larger body of society. So in practice, Huawei is just one big parasite.

网易福建福州网友 ip:218.5.*.*:
2008-02-28 10:37:01 发表
Beijing:
How to put this. Huawei has a high output value, is competitive internationally, and appears hi-tech on the surface. But in reality what it produces isn't technology. It's just a hi-tech factory. The only thing that keeps it alive are parasites inside the current telecom operators, and the operators are a parasite in the larger body of society. So in practice, Huawei is just one big parasite.

华为的销售有一半多是在海外完成的,这一点兄弟你清楚吧?

Fujian:
Most of Huawei's sales are done overseas, you guys know that right?

网易上海闵行网友 ip:210.22.*.*:
2008-02-28 10:41:39 发表
嘿嘿。为什么只有华为的人自杀了我们就会去追究是为什么死的呢。哈哈。

Shanghai:
Hehe. Why do we only go looking for why people kill themselves when it's people from Huawei? Haha.

网易江苏扬州网友 ip:222.45.*.*:
2008-02-28 11:58:39 发表
作为一个民营企业,在短短20年的时间成长为世界电信网络领域的NO.5,
每年为国家上缴利税第一(电子科技行业),
每年解决大学生3000多的就业问题,
每年国际申请专利中国第一,
可能成为中国第一个跨入世界500强的民营企业……..

Jiangsu:
As a privately-owned company, in just 20 short years it's become #5 telecom company in the world,
It pays the most state tax each year from within the electronics and tech sectors,
Each year it solves unemployment problems for more than 3,000 university students,
It has the highest number of overseas patent applications each year,
And might become China's first privately-owned enterprise to make it onto the Forbes 500……

网易上海网友 ip:203.156.*.*:
2008-02-28 12:53:57 发表
其实这些事情和华为的关系不大了,因为大家都有选择雇主的权利,压力大,我们可以选择辞职,找份轻松一点的。
我有同事也是华为出来的,他就挺乐观的

Shanghai:
Actually none of this really has much to do with Huawei, because everyone has the power to choose their own employer. If the pressure is too much, we can choose to resign, and find an easier job.
I have a coworker who used to work at Huawei, and he's still very optimistic.
The number one cause for suicide is untreated depression. Depression is treatable and suicide is preventable. You can get help from confidential support lines for the suicidal and those in emotional crisis. Please visit www.befrienders.org to find a suicide prevention helpline in your country.

4 comments

  • mark

    We are being critical and judgemental about the company. Would it not be more beneficial to the people of the company and society we live to care more about their psycological well being. Working hard and stress are part of all our lives. The difference is that if we care we give people the medical care they need to prevent health issues resulting in death. Escpecially in todays world we have medication that can help reduce stresses relaxing people so they do not lose control.

  • Githyanki

    Well, be that as it may. The competition at the factory must be fierce and the corporate climate unforgiving. From other comments all I can say is- try to avoid a creating a work culture in China as competitive as the japanese way of doing things. (Said with respect for the history between China and Japan. It is merely the most appropriate comparison)

    It is ferocious on an individual. One balanced way to comment would be to compare suicides in the school system up to University level with other countries. Then you can show whether that type of culture is already taking root in China generally. Anyone?

    What I do know though is that Huawei “Modems” suck Dragonballz. My solution: Kill the modem’s brains and put a decent Router behind that has a human intuitive interface. Cost me a pretty penny.

    Then there is that corporate policy not to allow documentation on the net. Trust me, that is why most of their modems seem to be sold to young and dumb telecoms in the 3rd world. They got a lot to learn.

  • Richard claris

    Hauwei in Jamaica very stressfull enviroment to work constantly demanding you meet unrealistic deadlines, with unethically long payment procedures. Hope noboby committs suicide.

  • john wuh

    I heard every year 10 people comitted to suicide in big and very competitive company in china, and other developing countries. this is the cost that must be paid. very sad to hear. RIP for all those who are suicided. you are Hero for your Family and your Country.

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