Harvard Graduate Turned Celebrity 'Huawei Princess'... Chinese Netizens Say "Don't Bring Shame to Your Family"

Yao Anna [Image source = Weibo capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] Ren Zhengfei (任正非, 77), founder of Huawei (華爲), has made a challenge into the Chinese entertainment industry through his daughter. The news that the "Huawei Princess," who graduated from Harvard University, is debuting as an entertainer has sparked intense interest among Chinese netizens.

On the 14th (local time), Ren Zhengfei's daughter Yao Anna (姚安娜, 23) released an interview-style video on Sina.com’s Weibo account.

Yao Anna said, "I am grateful to have been born into a very good family, but what people want to see from a newly debuting entertainer is talent," adding, "Talent is something I transform through my own efforts; no one can walk that path for me."

China’s TH Entertainment, which signed a contract with Yao, also announced her joining on Weibo the same day. The agency included the phrase "Bold Princess" on a poster featuring Yao’s feet stepping on it.

Yao Anna and her father Ren Zhengfei, Chairman of Huawei, and her mother Yao Ling
[Image source = Hongxing News, China]

Born in 1998, Yao is the daughter of Chairman Ren and his second wife Yao Ling. Yao is the late-born daughter Ren had in his mid-50s, and she is a half-sibling to Ren Ping (任平) and Meng Wanzhou (孟晩舟), who were born to his former wife. There is a 26-year age gap between Yao and her older half-sister Meng Wanzhou.

Because of this, unlike her older siblings who helped their father build Huawei from early on, Yao Anna gained fame under the nickname "Huawei’s Princess." She studied ballet from a young age, passing the Royal Ballet School exam in the UK at age 15, and entered Harvard University at 17 to study computer science and statistics. During her studies, she also completed an artificial intelligence research internship at Microsoft in the United States.

Her glamorous social life also attracted public attention. During college, a video was released showing her dancing with a Belgian prince at a high-end social club in Paris, France. In 2018, she was invited to a social club after being named one of the 20 most influential women in the world.

News of Yao’s entertainment debut became a hot topic among Chinese netizens day after day. The hashtag "Yao Anna Debut" consistently topped search rankings, and the hashtag "Ren Zhengfei Supports Yao Anna’s Artistic Activities" also rose in popularity.

[Image source = Weibo capture]

However, critical opinions were not lacking. Even before any official music release, a dance practice video she posted earlier was criticized as "poor." Chinese netizens commented, "Although she is known to have studied ballet since childhood, her level is far below that of ordinary trainees," "Is being a celebrity just about having a golden spoon?" and "Don’t disappoint China, which supports the Huawei family," expressing their disapproval.

Criticism also arose regarding the timing of Yao Anna’s entertainment debut. Huawei, the world’s largest telecommunications equipment company, has recently been under pressure from the United States, which claims it could pose a national security threat. Moreover, her sister Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada in December 2018 at the request of the U.S. government for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions against Iran and is currently under house arrest. One foreign media outlet reported that she has received multiple death threats.

Despite such malicious comments, Yao maintained a composed attitude. In the interview video about her debut, she said, "At first, I was upset after seeing some negative comments on the internet and thought it was unfair that everyone liked my sister but disliked me. But now I realize that no matter what I do, there will be people who don’t like me, and what I can do is to develop myself well."

Ren Zhengfei’s reaction to Yao’s entry into the entertainment industry has not yet been disclosed, but China’s Hongxing Newspaper reported, "Ren is very interested in his daughter’s future and even visited the agency in person to ask about specific plans."