- Apple on Friday warned suppliers not to identify Taiwan as an independent country, Nikkei reported.
- The announcement came after some Apple components were withheld for review by Chinese authorities.
- Earlier this week, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drew China’s ire for her visit to Taiwan.
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According to a report by Nikkei, Apple on Friday urged suppliers not to label products from Taiwan as “Made in Taiwan.”
The tech company told its suppliers that products or parts made in Taiwan must be labeled as being made in either “Taiwan, China” or “Chinese Taipei” to avoid the island being independent from China, according to the Japanese business news agency.
According to Nikkei, Apple made the decision to avoid potential supply chain disruptions from Chinese label control, especially as the company prepares to receive components from Taiwan to be used in new products due out later this year to come to market.
Some iPhone components were held back for inspection Thursday to see if shipments were labeled to China’s satisfaction, Nikkei reported.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment before publication.
Apple’s warning comes just days after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan for a visit that sparked a strong reaction from China. The nation has claimed Taiwan for decades, though China has never controlled the self-governing democratic country.
Pelosi’s actions were seen by Beijing as a “major political provocation” and a challenge to Chinese sovereignty, said Hua Chunying, China’s deputy foreign minister. said on twitter. Chinese President Xi Jinping warned ahead of the visit that the Biden government would be “incinerated”. Beijing also launched a series of military exercises in Taiwan in response.
Pelosi has openly advocated Taiwan independence.
“We want Taiwan to always have freedom with security, and we don’t shy away from that,” Pelosi said at a press event on Wednesday.
Apple particularly relies on China and Taiwan to provide components for its products. Last year, more than a quarter of the company’s suppliers were located in China. Much of the company’s products are assembled in China, a process Apple CEO Tim Cook helped drive.
Last year, The Information reported that Cook inked a five-year, $275 billion deal with the Chinese government in 2016 to facilitate a regulatory crackdown on its business in Asia.
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