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.
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