Should Chinese officials be banned from using iPhones? Various media outlets had reported on such plans by Beijing. Everything is wrong, says the Foreign Ministry. They just want to “take security issues into account”.
China says it has not issued any bans on the use of Apple cell phones. “We have no laws, regulations or policies prohibiting the purchase or use of foreign-branded mobile phones, including the iPhone,” said a State Department spokeswoman.
However, there are numerous reports of security problems with the Apple device, she explained, without going into more detail about the reports she mentioned. Several media outlets had previously reported that the Chinese government was considering banning high-ranking officials in certain ministries or certain employees in state-owned companies from using iPhones. The background is to prevent espionage.
The Apple Store in Beijing.
Apple shares plunged in the meantime away
The news caused concern among some Apple investors, as the market in the world’s second-largest economy is very important for the US tech company. In fact, Apple shares initially plummeted following the news.
The government spokeswoman essentially contradicted the media reports. Foreign and Chinese companies are treated equally in China, she said. However, observers noted that the Chinese government’s denial does not rule out the possibility that there may have been verbal instructions about the use of iPhones in some authorities.