Honor

Shenzhen, China

Honor is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer known for producing affordable smartphones that often boast high-end specifications, targeting a young and tech-savvy consumer base.

CCI Score

-31.58

0.16% July 7

Latest Event

Honor's $10 Billion Robotics and AI Initiative Raises Dual-Use Concerns

Honor, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, announced a transformational shift by pledging US$10 billion over the next five years to develop robotics and AI technologies, including a partnership with Unitree Robotics. This move aims to reposition the company as an AI and ecosystem player but raises concerns over the potential for dual-use technologies that could be exploited for surveillance and authoritarian control.

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TOADIE

Honor is currently rated as a Toadie.

-30 to -44 CCI Score

Companies scoring in this range actively seek to please authoritarian regimes. They offer proactive support and assistance in exchange for preferential treatment, compromising ethical standards for business gains and political favor.

Latest Events

MAY

28

2025

Honor's $10 Billion Robotics and AI Initiative Raises Dual-Use Concerns
-19.78

Honor, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, announced a transformational shift by pledging US$10 billion over the next five years to develop robotics and AI technologies, including a partnership with Unitree Robotics. This move aims to reposition the company as an AI and ecosystem player but raises concerns over the potential for dual-use technologies that could be exploited for surveillance and authoritarian control.
-20

Technology and Services Impact

June 19

While Honor’s move into robotics and AI marks a strategic investment in innovation, the scale of the US$10 billion commitment and focus on advanced technologies raise concerns from an anti-fascist perspective. Advanced AI and robotics can be leveraged for surveillance and other dual-use applications that may contribute to authoritarian control, particularly given the company’s origins and links within the Chinese tech ecosystem.

Chinese smartphone maker Honor joins robotics race ...
FEB

20

2025

Honor Endorses Expanded Trade-In Initiative
19.26

Honor, a major Chinese smartphone brand, stated in an interview with China Daily that enterprises in relevant sectors will benefit from the government’s expanded consumer goods trade-in initiative aimed at boosting domestic consumption and economic recovery.
+20

Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility

June 19

Honor’s endorsement of the expanded trade-in initiative aligns with business practices that support domestic economic recovery and consumer spending, which can indirectly benefit workers and marginalized communities. This positive business stance reflects a responsible adaptation to government policies that aim to stimulate growth.

Trade-in initiative to be expanded
+20

Economic and Structural Influence

June 19

By aligning with a government-led economic initiative, Honor positions itself to benefit from structural economic support aimed at boosting domestic consumption. This collaboration can strengthen long-term competitiveness while also contributing to economic stability in an environment where government policies play a strong role.

Trade-in initiative to be expanded
AUG

04

2024

Honor Receives Unusually Strong State Backing Ahead of IPO
-54.69

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor is reported to be receiving substantial support from Shenzhen authorities, including research and development funding, tax breaks, and other incentives to aid its IPO preparations. Documents indicate that this state backing is above the norm, signaling close ties with local government initiatives aimed at boosting the firm's global competitiveness.
-60

Economic Collaboration

June 19

Honor is leveraging significant state support — such as R&D funding, tax incentives, and dedicated local government teams — to enhance its investor appeal and global expansion plans. This deep entanglement with state-backed economic interventions exemplifies economic collaboration with authoritarian practices, raising concerns from an anti-fascist perspective as it blurs the lines between corporate independence and governmental favoritism.

Exclusive-China's Honor gets 'unusually' strong state backing as it readies IPO
OCT

27

2023

Honor Phones Pose Authoritarian Surveillance Risk
-67.50

Honor, a former Huawei sub-brand now operating independently, is reported to be at risk of being forced to hand over private user data in accordance with Chinese cybersecurity laws. Its de facto state ownership and close ties to Chinese authorities raise serious concerns about potential surveillance, particularly affecting journalists and critics of the Chinese regime.
-80

Provision of Repressive Technologies

June 19

Honor's products, built on former Huawei infrastructure and closely tied to state-controlled entities, may be compelled under Chinese cybersecurity laws to yield private user data to authorities. This direct link to state surveillance and potential repression of dissent (especially among journalists) positions the company as an enabler of authoritarian practices within technology and communications.

Chinese smartphone brand Honor, Huawei’s underhanded replica
NOV

17

2020

HONOR Divestment Highlights State-Backed Intervention
-35.21

Huawei’s divestment of its HONOR brand, executed through a transaction involving state-backed investors, underscores the intertwining of state influence and private enterprise. The move, aimed at preserving a strategic asset amid US sanctions, highlights the CCP’s role in steering economic activities under the guise of market-based decisions.
-60

Public and Political Behavior

June 19

The transaction is emblematic of significant state intervention where state-backed investors, linked to CCP priorities, played a critical role in preserving a key national asset. This alignment between state interests and corporate restructuring reflects characteristics of authoritarian influence.

Huawei, HONOR, and China’s Evolving State Capitalist Tool Kit
-50

Economic and Structural Influence

June 19

The restructuring of HONOR’s ownership—using a blend of market-based language while in reality deploying state capital—demonstrates how economic mechanisms are leveraged to advance CCP strategic objectives, consolidating state power over ostensibly independent entities.

Huawei, HONOR, and China’s Evolving State Capitalist Tool Kit