Apple’s China syndrome

Lawrence Franklin’s Gatestone column discusses recently leaked documents further revealing the enormities committed by China’s regime in its Xinjiang province. It also provides a useful review of the situation to date. What is to be done? Franklin modestly conclude: “Democratic countries should distribute these leaks globally as cautionary warning to all societies that the CCP’s projected panda bear image of China obscures the reality of a quite different animal with an insatiable appetite.”

At the same time, doing business in and with China is necessarily compromising. Our presumed moral betters at Apple have not paused to instruct us on this matter, but the Free Beacon’s Chuck Ross offers a useful case study in “Apple CEO Sucks Up to China in Interview With State-Owned Media.” Ross quotes Rep. Mike Waltz: “This further underscores the hypocrisy of corporate America, which preaches social justice at home and turns a blind eye when it comes to its profits. It’s absolutely shameful an American CEO would sit down with a communist, genocide-denying propaganda rag like China Daily.”

Ross writes: “The [reported] interactions highlight the kind of compromises Cook has made in order to do business in China. The tech titan has touted Apple’s commitment to civil rights and privacy in the United States while complying with Beijing’s draconian national security laws and ignoring its human rights record.” Ross has more, all of it worth reading.

As I say, Franklin’s advice about what is to be done is modest. However, it is undoubtedly beyond the scope of any action to be taken by Apple. Assuming it is capable of embarrassment, the least we can do is embarrass it.

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