Just one day after candy company Mars Wrigley apologized for having the audacity to consider Taiwan a country in a Snickers ad, Apple is now trying to get on the Chinese Communist Party’s good side.
China has been especially sensitive toward everything Taiwan since speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to the island nation. Apple is reportedly being especially careful about how they’re labeling anything being shipped from Taiwan to China, as to not run into issues with Chinese customs.
Nikkei Asia reported that Apple parts from suppliers that are manufactured in Taiwan shouldn’t carry a “Made in Taiwan sticker” if they’re being shipped to China.
Instead, these shipments are supposed to be marked as originating from “Taiwan, China” or “Chinese Taipei.” Of course, both of those names imply the island is under China’s control, which is at best a heavily disputed claim.
This has apparently been policy for quite some time. Recent tensions have led to this being enforced far more strictly than before.
However, Taiwan has its own rules regarding how exports are labeled. They require labels use the names “Taiwan” or “Republic of China.”
Apple decided to follow the Chinese Communist Party’s rules instead of standing up to them.
It’s likely unsurprising that Apple’s decision to hop in line with China’s policies has a lot to do with not hurting their bottom line.
The company is currently producing the next iteration of iPhones and is concerned that running afoul of these rules would lead to further disruptions at a time when the global supply chain is already in disarray.
It’s been reported that Apple has already run into issues nonetheless. A shipment from Taiwan to an iPhone assembly plant was held for review by Chinese customs officials.
