Swedish singer Zara Larsson, known for her songs Lush Life and Never Forget You, shares she had cut ties with Chinese telco giant Huawei, admitting it wasn’t “the smartest deal I’ve done.”
In an interview with Swedish broadcaster TV4, Larsson answers questions about her collaboration with the brand following accusations from a local politician that she has been “running China’s errands,” referring to Huawei’s supposedly espionage activities.
“We know that the Chinese state is not a nice state,” Larsson said.
The international singer partnered with Huawei in 2019 for the promotion of a new smartphone, and she was highly criticized for endorsing the interests of the Chinese communist regime.
“If I now look back it wasn’t, from a professional but also a personal perspective, the smartest deal I’ve done,” Larsson said. “It’s not something I stand behind.”
Following reports of the singer’s statement, the Swedish branch of the telco giant released their own statement explaining that their deal with the singer ended in mutual agreement because it was only in effect for a limited time. They further stressed that they are a global private company and that it “is in full owned by its own employees and no official or other organization is allowed as owners.”