Outside of its home grounds, Huawei hasn’t had the easiest of times making a dent in markets such as the US and Europe. But that’s not to say the company hasn’t been been trying. Just last year, the Chinese communications giant outlined a plan to regain its share of the European smartphone market, with the focus being to build premium handsets and spend more money on research and development. 

Huawei Technologies Co.’s chief executive on Friday said the Chinese telecommunications-equipment maker plans to increase investment and hiring in Europe as part of an effort to change perceptions of a company he acknowledged has been seen as “mysterious.” In a rare interview with journalists, Ren Zhengfei said the company he founded is investing and opening itself up in an effort to build trust with foreign customers and governments. Huawei has faced allegations in the U.S. that it is a security risk, as well as the threat of an European Union investigation into allegations that China is dumping or subsidizing products pertaining to mobile-telecommunications networks.