Tim Cook has been open about the fact that he views China as Apple’s future biggest customer, but right now it sure seems like the company can’t get too many breaks there.
Not only has Apple had its products booted off the list of approved state purchases in China, been forced to shut down its iBooks Store and iTunes Movies in the country, and been sued for broadcasting an obscure patriotic movie from 1994, but now young people are reportedly smashing their iPhone to protest U.S. foreign policy.
“The Chinese public, as optimistic and positive as they are, are deeply patriotic and nationalistic, especially people who are younger,” said James Roy of the research firm China Market Research Group. According to Roy, Apple is “very closely associated with the United States, and you are seeing people picking the closest symbol they can think of to demonstrate against.”
Photos circulating on Chinese social media show young Chinese people swearing scarves with patriotic slogans smashing iPhones. KFC is also finding itself at the center of the protest.
The protests concerns Beijing’s spat with the Philippines over the South China Sea, and are spurred by Chinese accusations that the U.S. allegedly encouraged Manila to oppose Beijing’s claims to the large stretch of ocean. Although the Chinese state-run media has argued against the manner in which protests are being handled, an Associated Press report notes that they are “a reminder of the political risks for global brands in China, where they regularly become targets of nationalist sentiment, often stirred up by official media.”
An Apple spokeswoman responded to the story by reiterating Tim Cook’s pro-China comments about Apple’s future in the country — saying that Apple has plans to open five more Apple Stores in China during the current quarter to bring the total retail store count there to 40.
