Lenovo falls prey to a plot in the US

At the end of April 2005, when Lenovo and IBM acquisition completed, one American staff with Dell computer said in his letter to one former IBM American client that every dollar clients spent on IBM productions directly supported and subsidized Chinese government.

A group of e-mails acquired by China Business News shows that one Dell salesperson tries to persuade former IBM clients to buy Dell productions with an excuse not to financially support Chinese government.

Among the total e-mails, Chris, a Dell salesperson, wrote in one labeled 8:12 p.m., Apr. 27 E.T. that we must be aware that Lenovo, which just completed the acquisition of IBM PC business, is controlled by Chinese government. Although the US government has approved Lenovo's purchase, every dollar clients spent on IBM productions directly supports and subsidizes Chinese government.

The news shows that the similar marketing means, especially after Lenovo's acquisition of IBM PC, are quite common among Dell salespersons. This salesperson further added in anther e-mail that IBM has sold its PC business to Lenovo, but Chinese government controls Lenovo.

An official in charge of sales department with above-mentioned company located in New Jersey queried the validity of that e-mail. In his reply on May 11, the official said, "Frankly speaking, as for the contacts with various companies, I may safely promise that the discussion over the background of Lenovo, an enterprise connected with Chinese government, never happens. Interesting enough, only Dell takes it seriously, which makes Dell rather cheap in this sense".

By citing the data and opinion the US media hold towards Dell computer, this official reminds the salesperson with Dell computer that 95 percent of the primary products of portal Dell computer are produced in China (Dell set up large-scale manufacturing enterprises in Xiamen, a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian province). Dell even does not design its own portal computers, and all the design work now depends on Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) in Taiwan. Dell is expected to be aware of the above-mentioned state.

According to the media report from Taiwan, famous computer agents in China's Taiwan Island such as Quanta, Compel and Weichuang so far have taken up more than 90 percent of the Dell portal computer production.

"It is a conscienceless move," said Shen Dingli, professor with American Studies Centre under Fudan University and an expert on American culture. "It is hardly for the Americans to accept the fact that Lenovo, a poor fellow in their eyes, purchased IBM PC business. They could tolerate acquisition by Japanese enterprises, but they can not stand Chinese purchase, which, in their view, is a kind of technical aggression," noted professor Shen.

"I feel shame for Dell computer's possible move to get a upper hand in the market competition at the cost of defaming China and Chinese enterprises," further added professor Shen.

When receiving the group of e-mails, spokesperson with Lenovo China News said that Lenovo has continuously heard about such news of this kind. The spokesperson further noted that the clients of Think (a form IBM brand) are of good judgment, however, not every client understands the background (Lenovo and China). "It shows nothing but Dell's fear of Lenovo," said the spokesperson.

By People's Daily Online