Taiwan Says ASUS To 'Evacuate' Russia After Ukraine Urges Exit

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, Ben Blanchard reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: "@ASUS, Russians have no moral right to use your brilliant technology! It's for peace, not for war!" Ukraine's deputy prime minister and minister of digital transformation Mykhailo Fedorov added in a tweet.

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. ASUS has faced calls on its social media channels for a boycott after the letter was tweeted.

The criticism is embarrassing for Taiwan, which has joined in Western-led sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine amid cross-party sympathy and support for Kyiv. Many Taiwanese see parallels with the military threat Taiwan faces from China, which views the island as its own. Russia is not a big market for any major Taiwanese firm.

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