Taiwanese PC maker Gigabyte is in hot water in China after its marketing department characterized Chinese contract manufacturing as low-cost and cheap.
The controversy started on Gigabyte’s Chinese-language website, which apparently posted a page touting its “Made in Taiwan” products. “Unlike other brands that’ve chosen low-cost, low-quality contract manufacturing in China, Gigabyte is devoted to creating outstanding, high-quality components and laptop computers,” the page said. The marketing then went on to claim that 90% of Gigabyte notebooks are made in Taiwan.
The page caught the attention of the Communist Youth League of China, which is affiliated with the Chinese government. On Tuesday, the group took to Chinese social media, posted a screenshot of the Gigabyte site, and asked: “Gigabyte, who gave you so much courage?”
Gigabyte quickly took down the web page and apologized on its China-based website. “A few days ago, part of the text published on our official website was seriously inconsistent with the facts,” Gigabyte said. “It was caused by poor internal management of the company.”
Gigabyte’s statement says 90% of the company’s product manufacturing occurs in mainland China, not Taiwan. “Gigabyte prides itself on the quality of Chinese production,” it adds.
Despite the apology, Bloomberg reports that Gigabyte is now facing a boycott from Chinese consumers. The country’s e-commerce providers, JD.com and Suning.com, have also been removing Gigabyte product listings from their sites.
The controversy occurs as China is seeking to reunify with Taiwan, a move many on the island oppose. So we wouldn’t be surprised if the “Made in Taiwan” page from Gigabyte came from an employee against reunification. But in its apology to Chinese consumers, Gigabyte says it has “always adhered to a one-China position.” The PC maker also says it opposes “any form of separatist behavior and speech.”
