LOYALTY:DPP councilor Liang Wen-jie accused Cher Wang of interfering in the elections with her comments in support of the ‘one China’ principle
By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter
A Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilor’s call for a boycott of HTC mobile phones following its chairperson’s election-eve endorsement of the so-called “1992 consensus” has drawn a mixed response.
Liang Wen-jie (梁文傑), who served as the DPP’s spokesperson during the election campaign, posted a message on his Facebook page on Monday saying that he would stop buying HTC products because HTC chairwoman Cher Wang (王雪紅) “interfered” in the election with her comments.
“I would rather let the Koreans make money from me. At least Samsung [Group] does not interfere in Taiwan’s elections,” he wrote.
On Friday last week, Wang said that she supported the so-called “1992 consensus” and peaceful cross-strait development. She said the comments were her own opinion.
Liang has posted two more messages since Monday elaborating on his idea, saying that he had bought 12 HTC mobile phones in the past five years because he wanted to support a “Taiwanese brand,” despite the fact that Samsung-made mobile phones are usually cheaper and are equipped with more advanced technology.
“Cher Wang is entitled to endorse President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) re-election campaign, but she should not have supported the ‘one China’ principle,” Liang wrote, adding that Yulon Group chairman Kenneth Yen (嚴凱泰) did not make comments about the election despite Chinese pressure, even though Yen is a supporter of Ma.
“If she can say that because businesspeople value profits more than patriotism, I think I am entitled to be a consumer without brand loyalty,” Liang wrote.
Liang’s comments drew mixed reviews on his Facebook page, with some saying he was “politicizing” Wang’s comments, while others supported his initiative.
Other Facebook pages calling for a boycott of HTC products have also been created.
“Liang’s comments represent his own views and we respect his right to voice his opinions. The DPP does not comment on specific companies or products,” DPP spokesperson Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) said.