(Yicai Global) Jan. 3 -- Huawei Technologies, the world's largest telecoms equipment maker, plans to invest USD2 billion as it puts network security and privacy protection at the forefront of its development, according to founder and Chief Executive Ren Zhengfei.

The Shenzhen-based firm will win customers as well as the acceptance and trust of governments, Ren said in a letter to staff yesterday. Huawei will earn credibility not just with its high-quality products, but also the processes used to create them, Ren added, saying the company needs to improve its software engineering.

The closely held tech giant has previously rebuffed media reports that its 5G business has run into trouble with some foreign governments, carriers and major customers because of security concerns. But that hasn't been the only bad news for Huawei. In early December, Meng Wanzhou, its chief financial officer and Ren's daughter, was arrested in Canada at the request of the US on suspicion of having violated American sanctions on Iran.

"We need to start with basic coding quality," Ren said in his letter, adding that top-tier programming needs to become a hallmark of the Huawei brand. "We will form a set of processing, organizing and auditing mechanisms," he continued, saying those who create code that do not live up to the new standards will be dismissed.

Rotating Chairman Xu Zhijun will lead the charge as Huawei looks to invest the money over the next five years to gain a more reputable position in the information and communication technology infrastructure sector, Ren said.

Editor: James Boynton