Asustek might shift to US: chairman

Staff writer, with CNA





Amid fears of a trade war between the US and China, Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) chairman Jonney Shih (施崇棠) yesterday said that the company is able to flexibly adapt to market changes and might even consider shifting production to the US.

“Now that volatilities and challenges in the world market arising from changes in economic strategies adopted by the US and China are unavoidable, Asus, which has its own brand and is highly flexible, will face reality and follow government policy before choosing an optimal solution,” Shih said after attending the 2018 Smart City Summit and Expo in Taipei.

“Asus is strong in different fields and will branch out into markets where it can expand based on the belief that we should turn crisis into opportunity,” he said.

For instance, the company has begun production in Indonesia in cooperation with excellent local partners, he said.

“We do not have to be influenced solely by China when devising our global investment strategy,” Shih said.

“As we are a consumer-centric enterprise, when Asus rolls out products, our supply chain, from design to manufacturing needs to be swift and flexible in meeting the demand of different markets,” he said. “This trend is inevitable.”

Asked whether Asustek would consider manufacturing products in the US, a key market for the company, Shih said “that could be possible” and “of course Asus will consider teaming up with US partners” if the need arises.

Asustek shares yesterday closed unchanged at NT$274.5 in Taipei trading.

They have fallen 1.79 percent since the beginning of the year.