This article only represents the author's own views.
Russia has quickly become a wasteland for western tech brands, with names like Apple (AAPL.US), HP (HPQ.US) and Dell (DELL.US) all suspending local operations after the country’s invasion of Ukraine and a crush of western sanctions that followed. While such a vacuum might look tempting for Chinese companies, the reality is far less clear due to the potential for losing access to more important western markets if they stay in Russia.
Against the backdrop of that threat, leading global drone maker Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) announced on April 26 it would suspend its business activities in both Russia and Ukraine. Though western sanctions weren’t mentioned in the statement on its English website, it pointed out that the company is “internally reassessing compliance requirements in various jurisdictions.” The move made it the first Chinese company to officially shutter its Russian operations.