When a blogger posted online Sunday that Xiaomi’s low-priced smartphones were damaging China, Xiaomi vice president Lu Weibing was annoyed. He took to microblogging platform Weibo to defend the brand.
The quarrel started when blogger Tongxin Xiao Xiongmao, or “Telco Panda,” berated Xiaomi on Weibo for making phones too cheap. An avid fan of Huawei, the blogger said that low prices can be a “stumbling block for a big country to upgrade to world-class level,” arguing that Xiaomi’s large fan base means that there’s something wrong with the country.
“Taking developed countries as an ‘example’ is a lack of national self-confidence,” Lu responded. “Moreover, developed countries brought us brands like Walmart, IKEA, Costco, UNIQLO and other companies and brands, benefiting the whole world.”
Thanks to US sanctions, Huawei’s smartphones have been riding a wave of patriotic support at home, seeing shipments surge 66% in the third quarter. Xiaomi has been losing ground in China, but Huawei’s lack of Google apps overseas may have benefited its competitor. Xiaomi’s shipments in Europe rose 73% in the same quarter.
Xiaomi public relations manager Xu Jieyun and executive Pan Jiutang also defended their company on Weibo, pointing out that Huawei was once known for cheap smartphones. The blogger subsequently deleted the post and wrote another one saying he supports Xiaomi and other companies in “expanding the country’s strength.”