A wild rumour that Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei fled China by sea has swept social media this week. It spread days before Beijing's new exit law, which can bar tech figures from leaving, took effect on 15 September.
No credible evidence shows Ren has gone anywhere, and Huawei hasn't commented. What's real, and what actually shifts the balance in global tech, is the rule that now lets China stop its most valuable people at the border.
