The Huawei Technologies founder Ren Zhengfei once recommended that his senior executives watch a TV series called “Proof of Identity.” In that 2009 series, a Communist spy who had infiltrated the Nationalist army during China’s civil war struggles for years to prove his loyalty and identity after the Communists prevail.

Today, 32 years after he founded the telecom giant with $3,000 of borrowed money, Mr. Ren is struggling to prove that Huawei is a private enterprise and independent of the Chinese government.

The task is more urgent than ever. In recent months, the Trump administration has said China could use Huawei’s equipment to spy on other countries, though it hasn’t offered proof. Critics accuse the company of being controlled by the Chinese government. Huawei has repeatedly denied these allegations, saying it is owned by its employees and wouldn’t spy on its customers.

Regardless of the issues of ownership and control, which have been subjects of heated debate, Huawei’s struggle stems in part from its own internal conflict. The company has been deeply influenced by Western competitors. Huawei wants to help determine the world’s technological future, and Mr. Ren himself has said the company may need to adapt to get there.