Taiwan says Asus will evacuate Russia after Ukraine urges exit
India Today
Taiwan has said that Asus, one of the world's biggest PC makers, will end its operations in Russia in reply to the request by the Ukrainian deputy prime minister who has been urging tech companies to sever their ties with Russia.
Taiwanese personal computer maker Asus will consider its reputation and put in place a plan to "evacuate" its staff and business in Russia, Taiwan's economy minister said on Monday, after a Ukraine minister asked it to leave the country.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's deputy prime minister and minister of digital transformation, tweeted a letter on Thursday to Asus Chairman Jonney Shih calling on the company to end its business in Russia. Moscow has invaded Ukraine in what the Russian government calls a "special operation".
"@ASUS, Russians have no moral right to use your brilliant technology! It's for peace, not for war!" Fedorov added in a separate tweet.
Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua, asked about the letter, said Taiwan stands with other democracies and has taken action against Russia, but could not comment on what individual companies were doing.
The company, formally called ASUSTeK Computer Inc, did not respond to a request for comment.
Wang said her "initial understanding" was that the company would conduct "relevant business and personnel evacuation as soon as possible" following the outbreak of the war.
"The company will give overall consideration to its reputation," she told reporters, speaking on the sidelines of a parliament session to discuss the impact of the war on Taiwan's economy.
