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Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

asia.nikkei.com

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Re: Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

#111
I wonder what Apple would now list if updating their FY20 supplier list[1] which simply states "Taiwan" for manufacturing locations for many of their suppliers.

Some of the suppliers in the list[1] operate manufacturing facilities in both mainland China and Taiwan, and their websites refer to a combination of "China", "Taiwan" and "R.O.C.". I do wonder how difficult it would be for these companies to deal with both governments at the same time! For example, the visa policies of each government towards each other appear to be very restrictive[2][3].

[1] https://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/pdf/Apple-Supp...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Taiwan#Chinese_...

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_mainland_China#...

Re: Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

#112
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This company pretends it has the moral high ground, but like most of corporate America, they always have an eye on Chinese profits. To be fair, it's not fair to use this as an occasion for Apple bashing or America bashing. The whole Taiwan thing goes much deeper. For example, if you look at ISO3166, the country code standard. If you look up Taiwan in ISO3166[1], you will see it listed as "Taiwan (Province of China)…

Apparently, People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) are in agreement that there's only one China. They differ on which government is legitimate.

It's worth noting that in the ROC (Taiwan) that position is losing popularity, and since about 2007 they seem to be moving towards becoming an independent nation that claims only the island of Taiwan. It's a politically difficult topic however, which is why no name change happened so far.

Re: Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

#114
post #81
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, an alternative interpretation would be that Apple (like much of the world) is in a no-win situation because an assumption that they had (like much of the world) was that investment, fair trade, and bringing China into the established international organizations would result in liberalization (within reason) of China and that they'd be a full partner in global stability. The grand bargain. But instead the CCP re…

> But instead the CCP rejected that and undermined global good will Can you elaborate on this? This feels a very US centric view. The US itself has repeatedly failed to comply with its own 'rules-based order', whilst expecting other powers to comply.

Textbook example of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism

Re: Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

#115
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And basically everyone here is choosing cheaper Chinese goods so we're all complicit too. You mean big corporations and their greedy shareholders choose for us?

If you take that point of view you deprive yourself of agency.

I wasn't included in the many and various board meetings across all companies to make the decision to move production... In fact, I wasn't in any. And to be quiet frank, I probably was born yet for many of them or still shitting myself in a diaper.

Re: Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

#116
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Some do it in Marseille, France. Citizens of many countries would be in big trouble if they have a stamp from Israeli customs on their passports. Customs apparently issue a separate document not to put a stamp on the passport as a result. This enabled many tourists who are "not supposed" to go there to nonetheless go there.

I’m not sure if they still do but you used to be able to hold two passports simultaneously. One that was ‘clean’ for countries that didn’t recognise Israel and another for Israel.

You still can in the US. [0] This exact use case is listed as one of the reasons the US Department of State will issue a second passport book.

[0] https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-pa...

Re: Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

#117

This company pretends it has the moral high ground, but like most of corporate America, they always have an eye on Chinese profits. America's future is at stake and we won't wake up until it's too late.

The United States government has always had a One-China policy, regardless of which party is in power. Why is this on Apple? Be mad at your elected leaders if you don't like it.

[deleted]

Re: Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

#118
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, an alternative interpretation would be that Apple (like much of the world) is in a no-win situation because an assumption that they had (like much of the world) was that investment, fair trade, and bringing China into the established international organizations would result in liberalization (within reason) of China and that they'd be a full partner in global stability. The grand bargain. But instead the CCP re…

> And basically everyone here is choosing cheaper Chinese goods so we're all complicit too. I don't buy Chinese goods just because they're cheaper. I only do so when there's no choice to buy the same kind of product from anywhere else. For example, try to find a power bank made somewhere other than China.

Sooo I'd just say I'm not really "never buy anything made in China", my comment was more geared toward if you're going to criticize Apple for making things in China, ostensibly for political reasons, that doesn't excuse your own buying of things made in China, particularly when you have options (power banks notwithstanding).

Re: Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

#119

This should honestly be picked up by a larger news organization. If the US is serious about protecting Taiwan and bringing more chips to the US, Apple should be shamed for choosing Chinese profits. Imagine if Apple told Ukraine employees to label Russia on their badges.

It amazes me how quickly people online are willing to start ww3. It seems like it's not the world leaders we have to worry about, it's the fucking commenters. Yes it should be picked up but the US can't just go in swinging with China. Nobody wins.

To be fair, China was ready to start WWIII a few days ago.

Re: Apple warns suppliers to follow China rules on 'Taiwan' labeling

#120

This should honestly be picked up by a larger news organization. If the US is serious about protecting Taiwan and bringing more chips to the US, Apple should be shamed for choosing Chinese profits. Imagine if Apple told Ukraine employees to label Russia on their badges.

Foxconn is a Taiwanese company, operating in China. The Taiwanese businesses knew they were shooting themselves in the foot but opened up factories in China anyways.

The comparison the Ukraine is getting old, mainly because I think a lot of history has been forgotten. Taiwan's formal name is the Republic of China, a government that was in control of Beijing in WWII, and allies with the US. During the Civil War, there was a truce been the CCP and the Kuomingtang (the ruling party of ROC back then) to fight against the Japanese. After WWII, there was a civil war between the CCP and the Kuomingtang. The Kuomingtang lost military engagements and retreated to the island of Taiwan. What makes the issue of Taiwanese and Chinese soveriengty complicated is that the Kuomingtang had asserted territorial rights over mainland China, but the military reality weakens those claims year after year. By the time of the late 80s, that position over reclaiming China had become the equivalent of the right-wing politics in Taiwan.

Culturally, the Taiwanese and Chinese inherit from the same, ancient Chinese civilization, with the Taiwanese having preserved much of the Chinese history, and the PROC did not (Cultural Revolution).

Unlike Ukraine, Taiwan (ROC) is not a buffer state between two major political powers. They were a veto power in the UN before CCP-controlled China, backed by the Soviets, forced their way into the UN Security Council. It is less about Taiwan being protected by US and more about the US honoring old alliances.

It's from that lens that Apple's response is interesting.

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