. | . |
Chinese consumers could boycott Apple if US bans WeChat by Staff Writers Beijing (AFP) Aug 28, 2020 Chinese consumers could boycott Apple if the United States bans WeChat, China's foreign ministry spokesman warned Friday, as the clock ticks down on a US order to block the popular social app. US President Donald Trump this month announced a ban from mid-September on WeChat and another Chinese-owned app, TikTok, accusing them of threatening national security, further stoking tensions between Beijing and Washington. But foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian tweeted Friday that "If WeChat is banned, then there will be no reason why Chinese shall keep iPhone and apple products". Zhao had already on Thursday said "many Chinese people are saying they may stop using iPhones if WeChat is banned in the US", and accused the US of "systematic economic bullying of non-US companies" by targeting the Chinese app. The comments mark a rare direct reference by Beijing to boycotting an American product and come as the superpowers spar on multiple fronts including military activity in the South China Sea, Hong Kong and blame for the coronavirus. Chinese social media users on Friday responded with mixed feelings to Zhao's warning on Twitter, which is blocked in China but accessible through virtual private network software. "I use Apple, but I also love my country," one user on the Twitter-like Weibo platform. "It's not a conflict." "No matter how good Apple is, it's just a phone. It can be replaced, but WeChat is different," another user argued. "Modern Chinese people will lose their soul if they leave WeChat, especially business people." Wechat, known in mainland China as Weixin, has more than 1.2 billion active users. Trump's executive order against WeChat forces the platform to end all operations in the United States and bans Americans doing business with it. Apple accounted for eight percent of China's smartphone market in the second quarter of 2020, according to Counterpoint Research, far behind domestic leader Huawei.
US adds sanctions on China's Huawei to limit technology access Washington (AFP) Aug 17, 2020 The US administration Monday expanded its sanctions on China's Huawei, a move aimed at further limiting the tech giant's access to computer chips and other technology. A Commerce Department statement added 38 Huawei affiliates around the world to the "entity list," claiming that the company was using international subsidiaries to circumvent the sanctions which prevent export of US-based technology. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Huawei and its affiliates "have worked through third parties t ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |