Ukraine puts Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi, CEO Lei Jun on war sponsor list over business in Russia
- Ukrainian authorities have accused Beijing-based Xiaomi of continuing its sales of smartphones in Russia after its invasion in February 2022
- Sales of Chinese smartphones in Russia have jumped after Apple and Samsung left the market because of geopolitical developments
Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdog has put Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, its founder and CEO Lei Jun, as well as a dozen other company executives on its list of “international war sponsors”, accusing the Beijing-based firm of maintaining business in Russia despite its military actions.
“The reason for inclusion in the list … was that the company not only continued its work in the Russian Federation after the full-scale invasion [of Ukraine], but is still the leader in smartphone sales in the terrorist state,” Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) said in the statement on Thursday.
“Xiaomi Corp is sponsoring the military aggression of a terrorist state and must bear both the reputational and legal consequences of its actions,” the NACP added.
Xiaomi on Friday denied that it supports any war actions. It said it adheres to all laws and regulations in every jurisdiction it operates.
“Xiaomi is a consumer electronics company, offering products solely for civilian and commercial use,” the company said in response to a Post inquiry. “We believe that every consumer in the world has the right to access communication tools and information on the internet … Our mission is to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technologies.”
