CNBC: Apple could be used as a 'bargaining chip' in the trade war, Chinese state media warns
* Apple has benefited from cheap labor and strong supply chain in China which has helped it boost profit and get to a $1 trillion valuation, the state-backed People's Daily said.
* The U.S. firm should share that money with Chinese citizens, the article urged.
* Apple could be the target of "anger and nationalist sentiment" amid the ongoing trade war.
Apple has benefited from cheap labor and a strong supply chain in China and needs to share more of its profit with the Chinese people or face "anger and nationalist sentiment" amid the ongoing trade war, an article in the state-backed People's Daily warned Tuesday. The article originally appeared in another state-backed publication, Global Times, last week.
The opinion piece highlights how Apple made $9.6 billion in revenues in China in the June quarter, which helped the U.S. giant to recently hit a $1 trillion valuation.
But the continuing trade war between the U.S. and China could leave Apple and other U.S. firms vulnerable as "bargaining chips" for Beijing, according to the article.
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WNU Editor: By issuing these threats the Chinese are making the case on why foreign companies should not invest in China. This type of rhetoric is going to backfire on China .... if not already. These threats are also telling me that the Chinese government is concerned on where this trade war is heading, and they are reacting accordingly.
