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

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

#311

Post by trasz »

chmod600 wrote: post #28
przemub wrote: post #17

Trade is really a matter for the government, and the US (sadly) adheres to the One China Policy. This just reflects the official policy, and having the companies pick this fight instead of the country is hypocritical.

There's some nuance here. We have free speech in the US. Freedom means choice, so there's still an obligation to act morally. China is more than willing to manipulate cultural messages with money, so we need some kind of cultural counter to that. For instance, see how China manipulated the NBA and Activision Blizzard during the Hong Kong protests.

>China is more than willing to manipulate cultural messages with money

Compared to a country where companies literally buy congressman, and freely manipulate public opinion for the highest bidder?

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

#312

Post by SpicyLemonZest »

CogitoCogito wrote: post #203
SpicyLemonZest wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Neutrality in politics doesn't refer to a Platonic ideal where the existence of a conflict doesn't affect you in any way. Neutrality is a pragmatic message: "I understand you two have a conflict, I'm not going to take it upon myself to solve it, but I'd like to operate here regardless". One option is of course to say that nobody should be neutral in the conflict between China and Taiwan, but the obvious objection is…

I don't know why you're over-complicating this. The body that decided on that terminology didn't even invite Taiwan to participate. The terminology was chosen at the behest of China. That body was obviously not neutral.

It just doesn't seem useful to adopt a concept of "neutrality" so strong that no international organization meets it.

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

#313

Post by reaperducer »

kshacker wrote: post #176
vladvasiliu wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not American, so I may be missing some details, but is that actually not allowed? Or is it rather the case that some people may not like that, so companies try to avoid upsetting some customers?

As others said, it may be allowed, and I did not know either ways but it was a rhetorical point. Now even if it is allowed, suppose this was a Federal government procurement. Will Feds buy something with such flags? Nope. Once that happens, it can be easily demagogued.

suppose this was a Federal government procurement. Will Feds buy something with such flags? Nope.

Actually, probably. If the item meets the specs and the price, that's what matters.

Just as there is no shortage of federal buildings, and even military installations named after Confederate things.

This HN discussion illustrates how bringing up Confederate themes, you can really tell when someone isn't an American.

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

#314

Post by outworlder »

geph2021 wrote: post #307
BiteCode_dev wrote: post #25

I have a friend working for a company whose biggest clients are in the Emirates. One of said client is the government, and it is asking them to buy some very specific equipment, knowing fully well this equipment is only sold in Israel. However, the Emirates cannot trade with Israel, and refuse to pay for any equipment labelled as coming from this country. Calling one of the officials, they asked for a solution. They…

Tell your friend to tread carefully with requests like this. My yearly "Business Conduct Training" (required by my employer) explicitly lists things like this as against company policy, a fireable offence, not to mention potentially illegal (circumventing embargoes, trade restrictions or sanctions).

My "Standards of Business Conduct" training says exactly the same thing.

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

#315

Post by outworlder »

trasz wrote: post #303
przemub wrote: post #17

Trade is really a matter for the government, and the US (sadly) adheres to the One China Policy. This just reflects the official policy, and having the companies pick this fight instead of the country is hypocritical.

>US (sadly) adheres to the One China Policy How terrible of them to adhere to the policy Taiwanese themselves prefer! EDIT: To clarify, from what I remember the public opinion on Taiwan independence has been steadily shifting and now it’s the majority’s preference compared to becoming another province of China. At the same time the vast majority of Taiwanese prefer the option “let’s keep things as they are now”, if t…

Citation needed.

Either that or... are you talking about Taiwan and West Taiwan?

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

#316

Post by przemub »

trasz wrote: post #303
przemub wrote: post #17

Trade is really a matter for the government, and the US (sadly) adheres to the One China Policy. This just reflects the official policy, and having the companies pick this fight instead of the country is hypocritical.

>US (sadly) adheres to the One China Policy How terrible of them to adhere to the policy Taiwanese themselves prefer! EDIT: To clarify, from what I remember the public opinion on Taiwan independence has been steadily shifting and now it’s the majority’s preference compared to becoming another province of China. At the same time the vast majority of Taiwanese prefer the option “let’s keep things as they are now”, if t…

Do they? Pan-Greens have a majority now.

Mind that Taiwanese politics is not something I know a lot about, so I'm happy to be corrected.

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

#317

Post by a4isms »

Jugurtha wrote: post #41
BiteCode_dev wrote: post #25

I have a friend working for a company whose biggest clients are in the Emirates. One of said client is the government, and it is asking them to buy some very specific equipment, knowing fully well this equipment is only sold in Israel. However, the Emirates cannot trade with Israel, and refuse to pay for any equipment labelled as coming from this country. Calling one of the officials, they asked for a solution. They…

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.

This is also what used to happen when a citizen of the US (and anyone else who requested it) entered Cuba. Cuban immigration would take a little piece of paper, place it in the passport, and then stamp the piece of paper.

If the traveller happened to remove that piece of paper once the returned from Cuba, so be it.

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

#318

Post by ericmay »

Apocryphon wrote: post #299
ericmay wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So all you’re telling me is “you have no options, there’s nothing that can be done, and nothing will change”. What’s the point of that? If that’s the case why bother caring? If it’s politically impossible to do something that’s all the more reason for personal change. Sure you can’t buy a MacBook that isn’t made in China, but you can spend more money and buy other things made outside of China.

> If that’s the case why bother caring? I don't know, you're the one who started with the "And basically everyone here is choosing cheaper Chinese goods so we're all complicit too" defeatism in the first place! And then turning around and condemning people for buying Chinese goods when 1) legislation for reducing trade dependence on China is very difficult, leading to 2) few consumer choices that have non-Chinese mad…

Everyone choosing cheaper goods is just an observation. And yea, most people were very happy to buy cheap stuff from retailers and they are in fact complicit because they want their cheap goods. And yea, most people even today would choose cheaper goods over goods sourced in western countries.

As a point of contention, I don't like the grandstanding I'm observing over stuff "made in China", especially here where we can all choose to buy products made in western countries and pay more money for those. Are there exceptions? Sure! But just because Apple makes the iPhone in China doesn't mean you can't buy a barbell made in Ohio or cast iron skillets made in Tennessee.

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

#319

Post by lostlogin »

StevePerkins wrote: post #16
jeswin wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is interesting because it exposes Apple, which as a company often tries to present itself as a champion of freedom, and other modern values. Yet as is reaffirmed here (and previously with AppStore etc), when profits are involved it is willing to overlook the most egregious forms of injustice and violence. Literally every tech company stands up for good causes like BLM and LGBTQ+ rights; but the true measure of cou…

> Literally every tech company stands up for good causes like BLM and LGBTQ+ rights Well, in the countries where it is good PR to do so. They tend not to show the same face worldwide, in countries where it would not be good PR.

I don’t think you can pass it off as PR when their CEO is out, and publicly supports the cause.

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

#320

Post by slim »

BiteCode_dev wrote: post #68
josephcsible wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the Emirates cannot trade with Israel Is "cannot" really accurate? Isn't it more like they voluntarily chose not to do so?

There is this human convention about "can/cannot" that assumes the reader is able to figure out the nuance of it. If I say, "I can't walk it the street naked", I'm expecting you to understand the underlying causes. I'm not expecting that I have to explain to you that, yes, nothing prevent me physically to walk in the street naked, but indeed, I chose every day not to do it because I don't want to pay the social and/o…

  political issues between Muslim & Jews
There are no political issues between muslim and jews. You maybe meant : - there are political issues between the jewish state and it's muslim majority neighbours - there is a conflict between jews and muslims in Palestine and Israel
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