Apple asks Taiwan suppliers to label products as ‘Made in China’
Apple yesterday asked Taiwan-based suppliers to use the ‘made in China’ label, as the firm reportedly wants products to comply with Bejing rule in a bid to avoid disruption from Chinese customs inspections.
According to Nikkei, the company wants manufacturers on the island to label components bound for China as made in “Chinese Taipei” or “Taiwan, China”.
A long-standing Chinese directive requires this label to be applied on all components bound for mainland China, but the rule was previously not heavily enforced.
The firm’s request comes as Chinese customs inspections grew stricter as a result from the visit of the US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to Taipei.
Pelosi visited Taiwan last week and met with its president, where she pledged to support the self-ruled island in the face of threats from mainland China.
Chinese officials, including president Xi Jinping, had repeatedly warned against Pelosi’s visit.