The National Agency on Corruption Prevention has added China's Xiaomi Corporation to the list of international sponsors of war. That's according to the NACP press service, Ukrinform reports.
In 2021, Xiaomi became the world's leading smartphone manufacturer. It also produces household appliances, tablets, smartwatches, software, electric scooters, electric bicycles, and a range of other products.
"The reason for the inclusion in the list of international sponsors of war is that the company not only continued its work in Russia after the full-scale invasion but still remains the leader in smartphone sales in the terrorist state," the statement said.
The NACP noted that from 2018 till the present day, Xiaomi has been ranked first in online sales in Russia and runs a large chain of official authorized Mi Stores across Russia.
"While Russians were bombing peaceful cities in Ukraine, Xiaomi managed to increase deliveries to Russia by 39% in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the previous one," the statement said.
Thus, in 2022, Xiaomi doubled its market share and is now Russia's smartphone sales leader. In July 2022, Xiaomi and its POCO sub-brand held 42% of the Russian smartphone market, ranking first in sales.
According to official data, in 2021, Xiaomi's Russian division generated revenue worth USD 202 million. "This is a huge amount with no less serious taxes paid. Then, these same taxes are used to support the Russian army, which is killing Ukrainians today," the statement said.
The NACP notes that the Russian market is essential for the Chinese company, which is why Xiaomi has never even announced plans to leave Russia, although it has not been marketing in Russia since the spring of 2022.
"Moreover, Xiaomi is now actively recruiting staff for its Russian offices and has announced the official launch of flagship smartphone sales. This indicates the company's intention to re-establish a full-fledged presence in Russia. Thus, Xiaomi Corporation is sponsoring military aggression of a terrorist state and must bear both reputational and legal consequences of its actions," the statement said.
The NACP in April added the world's largest oil company, SLB, to the list of international sponsors of war.
