China has detained four Taiwanese employees of Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant, the world's largest iPhone maker, which accounts for about 80% of global output.
The employees were detained using powers the Chinese government granted itself last year. No specific reason has been given, but the move is likely political in nature …
China detains four Foxconn employees
The WSJ reports.
Four Taiwanese employees of Chinese factories that make products for Apple have been detained by local authorities, Taiwanese officials said, the latest example of corporate detentions that have undermined business trust […]
One agency said the employees were charged with an offense similar to breach of trust, although the exact nature of the charges was unclear could not be determined […]
The Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) […] described the charges as strange and said the wrongful detention could seriously undermine investor confidence in China.
Neither Apple nor Foxconn would comment, but MAC said there were no financial losses.
Likely a political motive
Relations between China and Taiwan have become increasingly tense in recent years, to the point where China has been working on blockading the island as part of an invasion plan. The UK and US intelligence services and the military believe there is a serious risk of an invasion in 2027, the 100th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army.
Apple chipmaker TSMC is reportedly planning to remotely shut down its machines to prevent China from getting its advanced technology in the event of an invasion.
Detaining employees is a relatively new weapon used by China to send a chilling message to those who support and are vocal about Taiwan's claim to independence.
China has announced new rules targeting people it calls “staunch supporters of Taiwan independence”, threatening them with the death penalty […]
In June, the advice raised the travel alert level for China to level two largest, saying Taiwanese should avoid nonessential travel. It said Beijing's tightening of national security laws had led to the illegal detention or interrogation of Taiwanese citizens.
The latest developments further increase pressure on Apple to reduce its reliance on Chinese manufacturing.
Photo by Matthew Ensley on Unsplash
