Source: Wio News
Recent reports specify how Apple Inc has requested suppliers based in Taiwan to place ‘Made in China’ labels on their products. They want to show them as produced there in order to avert interferences by harsh customs checks in China. These have risen since Nancy Pelosi, the US House speaker visited the Taiwanese capital recently.
Reportedly, the tech giant has been asking Taiwan manufacturers to label the goods going to the Chinese mainland has produced in ‘Taiwan, China’ or ‘Chinese Taipei.’ The necessity of these labels are for the compliance of the well established rule, which was unenforced before, needs the goods imported to indicate that Taiwan is a part of China.
Turns out, under this rule, any label saying ‘produced in Taiwan’ may give rise to unnecessary delays, fines, along with the possible decline of a whole shipment. However, Taiwan needs the exports to be flagged with the specification of the origin. This could be either the name ‘Taiwan,’ or China would call the official name of the country ‘Republic of China.’
Reaction from around the world:
The call requiring the suppliers to deny the island’s independent existence has given rise to significant criticism all around. According to GreatFire, that works in opposition to Chinese censorship online, this choice was an extension of Apple’s actions where it removed the flag of Taiwan from the emojis in Hong Kong and China. They stated how the company could possibly start getting rid of apps that contain the letters ‘TAIWAN’ without the specification of ‘China.’
According a spokesperson from the organisation, they are suspecting how the point where Apple could refuse such censorship from China, is not anytime in the near future. Possibly, the iPhone maker might have assumed that it has no other option but to follow the requests of China.
Clearly, delays in shipment would ended up becoming devastating as Apple Inc shifts into final phase of production of its upcoming iPhone 14. The announcement for its launch would expectantly be done at a press event coming September.
On the other hand, the emergence of supply chain shortages have already been coming along as the iPhone maker does ahead with an unprecedented call. As specified by Ming-chi Kuo, an influential analysts, the call is for the shipment of the cheaper, non-Pro variants of the model with are set to possess the same core chip that already exists in iPhone 13 presently on the market.
