Exports blamed on HTC? Wang Xuehong: It will recover

HTC Chairwoman Wang Xuehong met yesterday with Chen Deming, president of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits. Regarding the topic of HTC affecting exports, she said that HTC is now the only remaining smartphone maker still producing in Taiwan, and it will recover in the future.

Chen Deming visited HTC on the morning of the 1st and was received by CEO Peter Chou. Wang Xuehong was not in the country at the time, but Chen Deming had already held a breakfast meeting with Wang Xuehong this morning. Chen Deming, president of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, will end his visit to Taiwan today and, according to the original plan, hold a breakfast meeting with HTC Chairwoman Wang Xuehong.

Regarding the downward revision of this year's economic growth forecast to 1.74%, with next year's economic growth also revised downward, Shih Su-mei, minister of the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics of the Executive Yuan, said the main reason was the large downward revision in exports, and even specifically noted that the contraction in HTC's exports this year was also a factor.

In response to this issue, Wang Xuehong told the media yesterday that HTC is now the only remaining smartphone maker still producing in Taiwan. As long as the people of Taiwan continue to support HTC, she believes it will definitely be able to recover, and it will work even harder in the face of global challenges.

The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics also clarified yesterday that the overall and directional problems of insufficient domestic investment and intensifying competition in export industries were in no way meant to blame private businesses or any single company.