Yang Ming Marine Transport’s general manager, Du Shu-chin, was appointed as the company’s spokesperson concurrently.
Announced on 3 January, Du’s appointment coincides with increasing publicity surrounding liner operators, which are expected to announce more record profits in 2021 due to Covid-19-related bottlenecks.
Taiwanese media noted that even as Yang Ming’s financial performance has greatly improved in the last two years, after several years of losses that required recapitalisation from the government, the company’s relationship with the press has been tense.
As Yang Ming has made a lot of money, the media has trained its focus on the company, and it is difficult to meet the expectations of the media and investors.
Recently, the company has had to deal with some negative press coverage, such as a disgruntled captain’s feedback and the fallout over the disparity of year-end bonuses offered by Yang Ming and rival Evergreen Marine Corporation
Yang Ming’s former spokesperson, Ho Hsiu-chi, used to oversee the company’s public relations department and had a good relationship with the media, but in recent years, due to changes in the company’s policies, speeches have been restricted.
Yang Ming’s decision to let Du serve as its spokesperson is therefore seen as responding to the needs of journalists and investors, as Du has the best understanding of the company’s situation.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
