Components used in Apple products must now include labels that tie together Taiwan with mainland China to keep the communist nation happy, a Japanese business publication reported last week.
According to an Aug. 5 report in Japan’s Nikkei Asia business publication, Beijing is cracking down on customs regulations that require goods made on the island nation include labeling that identifies it as a “province,” or official part of China proper, instead of an independent entity.
The move comes amid Beijing’s displeasure with United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., visiting Taipei last week, despite warnings from the Chinese government about “severe consequences,” should it take place.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the “one China” policy adopted by the United States started in 1979 when it recognized the People’s Republic of China as the sole “legal government” for the country while not recognizing China’s sovereignty over the island of Taiwan but allowing it to be “a part” of China.
The policy allows for Taiwan to voluntarily become officially part of the PRC if it chooses to, provided force by the mainland is not used.
Apple, however, has relied on Chinese labor, including forced labor, to make many of its electronic products, the Register reported.
Despite a company statement from CEO Tim Cook reaffirming its commitment to human and privacy rights, the company has been called out for seemingly bowing to the Chinese government.
In April, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Brendan Carr wrote Cook a letter accusing the company of violating that policy, in part, by censoring applications from its store such as Voice of America.
"While there are many examples of Apple doing the bidding of Communist China, I am focusing in this letter on just one case: Apple’s decision to remove the Voice of America mobile app from its App Store in China,” Carr wrote. “Apple’s decision to remove the Voice to appease the Communist Party of China cannot be squared with your representation in Washington that Apple will ‘battle against an array of dangerous actors’ nor your claim that Apple will ‘protect people’s fundamental rights’ from abusive surveillance.”
The tech giant did not respond to the Register with a comment on its story, but Benjamin Ismail, project director for AppleCensorship.com, associated with China-focused advocacy group Great Fire, commented to the publication that he wonders where Apple’s “red line” is as far as appeasing the regime.
"Unfortunately, we suspect that Apple's 'red line,' the moment where it will say 'stop, no longer, we cannot continue to collaborate with the Chinese regime and enforce its requests for censorship,' is nowhere close," Ismail told the Register. "Apple has shown it is willing to go very far to secure the Chinese market, including violating sanctions by doing business with entities targeted by U.S. sanctions.”
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