Is Apple ready to get tough on China or only Russia?
Apple removed Russian state media outlets from App Store, but Chinese state media remains
Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., discusses Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear threat and whether NATO should take a more hands-on approach with regard to Ukraine, arguing the conflict will 'define how secure the world is' in the future.
The same U.S. companies rushing to sever ties with Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine have had little to say about China’s posturing against Taiwan or its persecution of Uyghurs.
Apple on Tuesday announced it has halted sales and other services like Apple Pay in Russia, saying it was "deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine" and stands with "all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence."
APPLE HALTS SALES IN RUSSIA OVER UKRAINE INVASION
Apple also said that state-owned Russian media outlets like RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia.
A woman cries outside houses damaged by a Russian airstrike, according to locals in Gorenka, outside the capital of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022. (AP Newsroom)
Apple has not made similar moves against China, which has been increasing its presence near Taiwan, an island that the communist country claims is part of its own territory despite the island’s claims of independence since 1949. The U.S. does not formally recognize Taiwan but maintains an unofficial relationship and is supportive of its democratic government.
China has been sending dozens of warplanes toward Taiwan’s air defense zone, coinciding with calls by Chinese President Xi Jinping for the island to be brought into China as part of a "peaceful reunification." Taiwan said it had to warn away nine Chinese aircraft that entered its defense zone Feb. 24, the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine.
Uyghur, Tibetan and Hong Kong communities rally outside the Chinese Embassy in London Oct. 1, 2021. (Hasan Esen/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Despite Apple taking a stand against Russia and its state media, Chinese state media outlets such as Xinhua News Agency, China Central Television (CCTV) and People's Daily are still available for download from the App Store.
Apple has also been silent about China’s human rights abuses against Muslims, particularly Uyghurs, in Xinjiang, which the U.S. has declared a genocide. In fact, the company removed a Quran app from its App Store in October following demands from the Chinese government.
Apple CEO Tim Cook gestures from an elevator as he arrives to speak during a weeks-long antitrust trial in federal court in Oakland, Calif., May 21, 2021. (Reuters)
In March of last year, Apple complied with the Chinese government’s demands to remove H&M stores from Apple Maps in the country, after the Swedish-based retailer spoke out against the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights abuses.
"We're required to comply with local laws, and at times there are complex issues about which we may disagree with governments," Apple’s human rights policy states.
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Apple did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment regarding the genocide of Uyghurs or whether it will take similar action against China that it did with Russia in the event of an invasion of Taiwan.
Similar requests for comment from multiple other companies that have moved to sever ties with Russia but not China, including Twitter, Google, Nike, Disney and Meta, the parent-company of Facebook and Instagram, went unreturned.