Former Senator Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Discusses Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threat and whether NATO should take a more practical approach to Ukraine, saying the conflict will “define how secure the world is” in the future.
The same American companies that are in a hurry to sever ties with Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine have nothing to say about China’s position against Taiwan or the persecution of the Uighurs.
Apple said Tuesday it had stopped sales and other services such as Apple Pay in Russia, saying it was “deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine” and “with all the people who are suffering as a result of the violence.”
APPLE STOPPED SALES IN RUSSIA FOR UKRAINE
Apple also said that state-owned Russian media outlets such as RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside of Russia.
Woman cries in front of houses damaged by Russian air strike, according to locals in Gorenka, outside the capital of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022 (AP Newsroom)
Apple has not taken such action against China, which is increasing its presence near Taiwan, an island that the communist country claims is part of its own territory, despite the island’s claims to independence since 1949. The United States does not officially recognize Taiwan, but maintain an informal relationship and support their democratic government.
China is sending dozens of fighter jets to Taiwan’s air defense zone, in line with calls by Chinese President Xi Jinping to bring the island to China as part of a “peaceful unification.” Taiwan has said it must warn nine Chinese planes that entered its defense zone on February 24, the same day Russia invaded Ukraine.
Uighur, Tibetan and Hong Kong communities gather in front of the Chinese Embassy in London, October 1, 2021 (Hasan Esen / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Although Apple is taking a stand against Russia and its state media, Chinese state media such as Xinhua, China Central Television (CCTV) and People’s Daily are still available for download from the App Store.
Apple is also silent about China’s human rights abuses against Muslims, especially Uighurs, in Xinjiang, which the United States has declared genocide. In fact, the company removed the Koran application from its App Store in October following requests from the Chinese government.
Apple CEO Tim Cook makes an elevator gesture as he arrives to speak during a week-long antitrust trial in a federal court in Oakland, California, May 21, 2021.
In March last year, Apple complied with the Chinese government’s request to remove H&M stores from Apple Maps in the country after the Swedish-based retailer spoke out against human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party.
“We are required to abide by local laws, and sometimes there are complex issues on which we may disagree with governments,” said Apple’s human rights policy.
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Apple did not respond to a request from Fox News Digital for comment on the Uighur genocide or whether it would take similar action against China, which it did with Russia in the event of an invasion of Taiwan.
Similar requests for comment from many 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, have remained unresolved.