Drone giant DJI Technology Co (大疆創新) said it would temporarily suspend business in Russia and Ukraine to ensure that its products are not used in combat, making it the first major Chinese firm to cite the conflict in halting sales in Russia.
Ukrainian officials and citizens have accused DJI of leaking data on the Ukrainian military to Russia, allegations the world’s largest maker of consumer and industrial drones has called “utterly false.”
In contrast with the many Western firms that have pulled out of Russia to protest its invasion of Ukraine, Chinese companies have stayed there, in line with Beijing’s stance of refraining from criticism of Moscow over the conflict.
Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Reuters
A DJI spokesperson yesterday said that its suspension of business in Russia and Ukraine was “not to make a statement about any country, but to make a statement about our principles.”
“DJI abhors any use of our drones to cause harm, and we are temporarily suspending sales in these countries to help ensure no one uses our drones in combat,” the spokesperson added.
Privately held DJI does not release financial information, but research firm Drone Analyst has estimated that it had hardware revenue of US$2.9 billion in 2020.
The conflict in Ukraine has put Chinese companies in a bind. Continuing to operate in Russia has drawn international criticism, but withdrawing would risk a backlash from the Chinese public.
In February, ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc (滴滴) reversed a decision to leave Russia and Kazakhstan after domestic social media users accused it of succumbing to US pressure.
Taiwan’s long-term economic competitiveness will hinge not only on national champions like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC, 台積電) but also on the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, a US-based scholar has said. At a lecture in Taipei on Tuesday, Jeffrey Ding, assistant professor of political science at the George Washington University and author of "Technology and the Rise of Great Powers," argued that historical experience shows that general-purpose technologies (GPTs) — such as electricity, computers and now AI — shape long-term economic advantages through their diffusion across the broader economy. "What really matters is not who pioneers
In a high-security Shenzhen laboratory, Chinese scientists have built what Washington has spent years trying to prevent: a prototype of a machine capable of producing the cutting-edge semiconductor chips that power artificial intelligence (AI), smartphones and weapons central to Western military dominance, Reuters has learned. Completed early this year and undergoing testing, the prototype fills nearly an entire factory floor. It was built by a team of former engineers from Dutch semiconductor giant ASML who reverse-engineered the company’s extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines, according to two people with knowledge of the project. EUV machines sit at the heart of a technological Cold
TAIWAN VALUE CHAIN: Foxtron is to fully own Luxgen following the transaction and it plans to launch a new electric model, the Foxtron Bria, in Taiwan next year Yulon Motor Co (裕隆汽車) yesterday said that its board of directors approved the disposal of its electric vehicle (EV) unit, Luxgen Motor Co (納智捷汽車), to Foxtron Vehicle Technologies Co (鴻華先進) for NT$787.6 million (US$24.98 million). Foxtron, a half-half joint venture between Yulon affiliate Hua-Chuang Automobile Information Technical Center Co (華創車電) and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), expects to wrap up the deal in the first quarter of next year. Foxtron would fully own Luxgen following the transaction, including five car distributing companies, outlets and all employees. The deal is subject to the approval of the Fair Trade Commission, Foxtron said. “Foxtron will be
INFLATION CONSIDERATION: The BOJ governor said that it would ‘keep making appropriate decisions’ and would adjust depending on the economy and prices The Bank of Japan (BOJ) yesterday raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest in 30 years and said more increases are in the pipeline if conditions allow, in a sign of growing conviction that it can attain the stable inflation target it has pursued for more than a decade. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda’s policy board increased the rate by 0.2 percentage points to 0.75 percent, in a unanimous decision, the bank said in a statement. The central bank cited the rising likelihood of its economic outlook being realized. The rate change was expected by all 50 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The
RSS