Beijing/ Washington: China has threatened to ban Apple products alongside iPhone if the United States bans Chinese app, WeChat. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump had declared to impose sanctions on TikTok and WeChat apps. Moreover, he threatened to ban the apps if the sanction was not implemented. In retaliation, China threatened to act against the US in the same manner. So, the ban on Apple company seems to be part of the same.
Two years ago, the US President had declared a trade war against China. Through this trade war, US President Trump had initiated action against Chinese companies that dominated the US market in Information Technology, telecommunications and internet. Moreover, President Trump accused the Chinese Communist Regime of espionage, stealing intellectual property, spreading fake news and propagating the communist ideology via these companies. Besides, he had also declared ‘emergency’, given the threat to national security. Furthermore, China has been reacting severely as the US President started to target the companies, which are directly related to the Chinese Communist Regime.
Moreover, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Zhao Lijian, threatened that the US ban on Chinese officials and companies based in the US for trade is unjust. The ban on WeChat app is systematic economic bullying by the US administration. Furthermore, he tweeted, “If WeChat is banned, then there will be no reason why Chinese shall keep iPhone and apple products.” He also accused the US of bullying China in trade under the guise of national security.
At the time, Lijian mentioned the social media site Weibo too. Moreover, Weibo, known as the Chinese copy of Twitter, had conducted a poll for Chinese citizens to obtain their opinion over the US-China trade war. Weibo said that 15% of users claim to boycott Apple products if the US bans the WeChat app.
Apple holds about 9% share in the Chinese market of smartphone and technology. Last year, Apple had procured revenue worth $44 billion from China. Apple shares 15% of total Chinese production, and China is known to be the biggest marketplace for iPhone. China is the biggest hub for the production of Apple products. Moreover, Apple did not stop its production in China even after US President Trump initiated the US-China trade war and imposed hefty dues on the company.
However, against the background of Covid pandemic, Trump’s aggressive decision against China raises concerns. As per the threat issued by the Chinese spokesperson, the decision to ban Apple in China can cause a massive setback for the company. Earlier, the Chinese Communist Regime had banned YouTube and Twitter. Moreover, it also warned Microsoft of an action.
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