China reported the presence of security problems during the use of smartphones of the iPhone line but noted that this circumstance is not a reason to impose a ban on the purchase of the corresponding devices by the American technology giant.
This message was the first official comment after information appeared in the media that the Chinese authorities intended to restrict the use of Apple products in state-owned companies and secret agencies.
The press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Mao Ning, on Wednesday, September 13, at a regular press briefing in Beijing, said that recently there had been a proliferation of reports of security incidents related to the mobile phones of the American technology giant. At the same time, he did not go into details about this information.
Last week, the media reported on China’s intention to impose a ban on the practice of using the iPhone by employees of companies that receive support from the state and agencies that are more or less connected with the authorities. According to experts, this plan is evidence that the technology giant in the foreseeable future may face the problem of significant restrictions on activities in the largest foreign market for its products. China is also the company’s global manufacturing base, which exacerbates the possible consequences of a potential decision by the authorities of this Asian country.
The media reported that several Chinese agencies have already provided their employees with instructions that contain recommendations not to take the smartphones of the technology giant with them to work.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said that there are currently no laws in this country that prohibit citizens from buying Apple and other foreign brands of mobile phones. Separately, Mao Ning noted that the government attaches great importance to security and stressed that all companies operating in the country must comply with local laws and regulations.
The journalists drew attention to the fact that the comments of the press secretary about the security incidents with the iPhone in the official translation of the briefing into English were slightly different from what he actually said. In this translation provided by the Ministry, there was no reference to media reports. Such briefings, as a rule, are subject to strict control, and responses in most cases are prepared in advance. People in different countries speak different languages, and reaching them effectively requires a professional website translation service.
The briefing took place just a few hours after Apple unveiled the iPhone 15. The technology giant presented four new developments, including the basic version of the smartphone and modifications Plus, Pro, and Pro Max.
If Beijing eventually decides to impose a ban on the use of smartphones by the American technology giant, a situation will form that can be described as a blockade. This action by China will also be a kind of culmination of the country’s long-term measures to stop the practice of using foreign technologies in sensitive environments. At the same time, the potential iPhone ban is consistent with Beijing’s desire to reduce the level of dependence on American software and circuitry.
