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.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
10 responses to “Chinese youths smashing their iPhones in protest against U.S.”
Now seriously, what young person is going to throw their hard-earned money in China or anywhere else in the world and smash an expensive device in protest? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Who would notice? You should editorialize your own piece. Think it could just possibly be propaganda planted by the Chinese powers-that-be? Ya think?
Doesn’t sound like I could afford to be a protester in China…. :-( Seems like it would be much cheaper for them to burn a flag or something like everyone else does.
Or even an iphone clone, since they have many of those over there.
Suppose we could get protesters here in the states to just smash their phones and avoid obscure fast food joints, rather than impeding traffic on major highways? Seems like a win-win.
They’re probably using cheaper clones and don’t know the difference. It’s hard to believe there are really people this stupid in the world.
Let them suffer with their Android phones then. They aren’t worthy of an iPhone.
I guess someone should point out that Android was also developed by an American company (Google).
Android was written by moebius, from a bulletin board system called spies in the wire, all google did was buy/obtain android from him. moebius now lives in switzerland
Andy Rubin co-founded Android, Inc. in Palo Alto in 2003. Google bought the company in 2005.
That’s only fucking propaganda. In China, of course. That’s up there is only a fucking clickbait.