Apple's Pandemic Recovery Donation to China More Than Doubles to $7 Million

[Constable Odo]

Good going, Apple, considering most of the consumers in China will be buying Android smartphones and no matter how much Apple donates, that fact will never change. What's amusing, is at one point, China was accusing the United States of starting the Coronavirus but if that was true it has truly backfired on the American populace.

What Apple should do is give away a free N95-rated mask to all Chinese consumers who purchase an iPhone. Maybe that will help boost iPhone sales and shut up all the analysts who claim there will be almost no iPhone demand.
__________
I'm just talking crap and killing time. I'm in NYC and things are looking rather grim for many people. I have a couple of N95-rated masks, but I had them around the house since last year. Masks are hard to come by, now.

 

[MN7119]

Hope Apple is making same commitment to Europe - esp Italy and Spain

Really????? They sent out this nasty virus to the entire world and are now "helping" the countries affected. BS!!!! They are trying to make a propaganda that they are the nice guys. I have friends in Italy and Spain and they cannot hear the word China. I think China shot themselves in their foot as more and more countries will rethink their production and get away from countries like China as fast as they can.

 

[sterlingindigo]

Mandatory donation maybe. But if you make your bed...
Probably not though.
I'm getting too uncomfortable continuing to be an Apple consumer.

 

[Lucky736]

Time for Tim Cook to go.

 

[kodos]

I hope all these companies have some kind of strategy (long-term) to move production elsewhere.

Even if it is little baby-steps right now. You cannot make a deal with a devil like the Chinese government (the government, not the people - the people are being oppressed!) and not get burned.

 

[I7guy]

Time for Tim Cook to go.

I believe he may be forced to retire in 10 years or so. Other than that he is not going anywhere.

 

[chilly willy]

Really????? They sent out this nasty virus to the entire world and are now "helping" the countries affected. BS!!!! They are trying to make a propaganda that they are the nice guys. I have friends in Italy and Spain and they cannot hear the word China. I think China shot themselves in their foot as more and more countries will rethink their production and get away from countries like China as fast as they can.

I simply meant I hope Apple donates to Italy and Spain ( and other nations ). I was not talking about whether 7m to China was bad idea. I personally am not a fan, especially if similar contributions not made elsewhere. If not, it reeks of pandering to the Chinese government, regardless whether we know China is undoubtedly giving false statistics as to magnitude of impact the there. (I cannot accept that they’ve truly contained virus, no matter how aggressive their Quarantine efforts were.

 

[iGobbleoff]

Every country should be sending China the bill for what has happened. Companies are shutting down, people are losing their jobs, they’re buying up all the essential items here and sending them back to China, so at the end of the day, F them, send them the bill and make sure they pay.
They simply cannot get away with this and T Cook needs to take back that cheque

 

[Kevin2055]

Apple earned much much more ($23000 millions in 2018) from Chinese consumers than the donations and will continue earn that.

 

[SoGood]

Intelligent play as China will be a major revenue earner in the near-medium term, as US and Euro retail markets collapse in a heap. So sad so many Yanks are trying to blame China on this naturally occurring virus variant. Better to look at the US govt's incompetence and major failures. Better to go and help the 100,000 to 200,000 American who are about to die unnecessarily. That's 300-600/million of population. China's death rate out of this COVID-19 will top out around 4.5/million. Even if one cares to 10x that rate... It's a 10 timer! So sad!

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Relax people, this is simply just oiling the wheels of business. It's as the same thing as spending money on PR, advertising, and lobbying. Every time there is a disaster or worthy cause to jump on board of, in any of Apple's markets, it takes full advantage, and "donates". This creates good will in that country, and makes it easier to do business by smoothing impediments and red tape. It also increases customers' desires to buy Apple's products. All companies do this sort of thing. In this case, you're hearing about Apple's donations more than other companies, because you are actively reading MacRumors. And China in particular is important, because not only are they a major market, but they run most of the factories.

 

[oldwatery]

Wow...this thread is as bad as anything on Fox News. Never realized how many xenophobes stalk these halls! Pretty much every piece of tech these posters use comes from China because we gave up trying to make stuff here. That is not China's fault. Americans blaming other people for their problems...comes right from the top. And as for them spreading this...well lets see how it looks in a few weeks of us doing nothing to contain it ourselves. So now who you gonna blame? Obama!!!!!

 

[212rikanmofo]

What a bad move, Tim is kissing the CCP's ass I see. Please take Apple out of China and bring it back to the American people. I would hope that after this tragic incident that people would stop doing business with China.

 

[falainber]

I am happy they are helping china. But people still should know the truth that china has lied and covered up the extent of this virus. As a person who buys and sells real estate I do not do business with liars or people that lose my TRUST.

China Concealed Extent of Virus Outbreak, U.S. Intelligence Says

China has concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in its country, under-reporting both total cases and deaths it’s suffered from the disease, the U.S. intelligence community concluded in a classified report to the White House, according to three U.S. officials.

www.bloomberg.com

This is our predicted Damage from China's concealed Virus problem.

Coronavirus job losses could total 47 million, unemployment rate may hit 32%, Fed estimates

Millions of Americans already have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus crisis and the worst of the damage is yet to come, according to the Federal Reserve.

www.cnbc.com

That's just BS. Maybe they concealed something, so what? It's not like US gives China full access to our data. More importantly, once China realized the extent of the problem they let the whole world know how serious it was. Everyone knew already in January that the pandemic was coming. Do you really think that if they provides full data (say, 10% higher mortality than reported) and did it one week earlier, it would change our response? What exactly did we do for two months after learning about the problem? Stop blaming China for our own inaction.

 

[briloronmacrumo]

$7 million is chump change to Apple, but it's still pandering.

Looks more like a genuflect IMO.
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Never realized how many xenophobes stalk these halls!

Disliking an authoritarian government and their human rights violations is not xenophobia. Many posters are sympathetic to China's people which is almost the opposite of xenophobia.

 

[sakurarain]

Tim is a businessman and smart guy. He understood well how to deal with US politician and the politician in other countries, with different manners. He see the chinese market and supply chain beyond his personal emotion or so-called “political faith”
As I humbly assume, such a donating to a country / government is usually not for free. (the Chinese government donates tones of medical equipment to Italy, I am sure it is not a free gift. China must have asked Italy for something back, maybe a full support in UN for fighting against US)

 

[steve333]

No mention of the fact that the Chinese government hid the problem from the world, that they coerced doctors to be silent, that they are responsible for thousands of deaths?
Yeah, bow to your Master, Timmy. And while you're down there.......

 

[ChromeCrescendo]

I take it back. This isn't embarrassing for Apple. It's infuriating. Sick of this American company propping up the Chinese Communist economy at every opportunity.

Tim needs to go. Now.

Kissing the ring

 

[unclemax]

Lol, DAMN the xenophobia is strong in here today!!!

Sooooo... to those (apparently most?) that didn’t bother reading the article before proceeding to howl how “Tim is lining politicians pockets & not helping anyone... & besides why would he want to help innocent people that are poorly governed?”- Tim’s post transparently states the exact amount given, names China Foundation for Poverty Elimination as the recipient, and further names a handful of hospitals earmarked to receive funds.
I would imagine it would be difficult for anyone to now divert/steal that money & for those hospitals to suddenly not get funds, after such a public announcement.
Is any “help” organization completely free of corruption? Of course not... however, I would feel buffoonish trying to claim that this donation did nothing for any Chinese citizens whatsoever, & also may likely be a ploy to curry favor with a cabal of corrupt politicians over there that are busy divvying up aide checks to their personal bank accounts.

No, it’s not going to be difficult to embezzle that money. This is China, and nobody is going to care / remember Apple donations because external aid was never on the propagandists’ agenda, and now the narrative has completely shifted to China “saving the world”.

 

[haunebu]

That's just BS. Maybe they concealed something, so what? It's not like US gives China full access to our data. More importantly, once China realized the extent of the problem they let the whole world know how serious it was. Everyone knew already in January that the pandemic was coming. Do you really think that if they provides full data (say, 10% higher mortality than reported) and did it one week earlier, it would change our response? What exactly did we do for two months after learning about the problem? Stop blaming China for our own inaction.

From the standpoint of global governance, China was bound, as a party to the 2005 International Health Regulations, to “provide expedited, timely, accurate, and sufficiently detailed information to [the World Health Organization] about . . . potential public health emergencies” such as the Wuhan coronavirus. Instead of doing so in this case, the Red Chinese actively misled the WHO about the crucial fact that the pathogen is transmitted between humans.

China is 100% to blame for this global pandemic and the lives lost. Simply put, China lied and massive numbers of people are dying as a result. Giving the Chinese Communist Party money is a complete outrage. It's nothing but a protection racket, so Tim can make his iPhone 12.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Donates 10 million $.75 cent masks to the US and 7 million dollars to China. Seems about par for the course for Apple. Gotta make your supply chain happy otherwise less $$$ in their pocket.

 

[BvizioN]

With that said, I would like to understand why China needs anything since according to all official reports they have beaten the virus and there are no new infections or deaths due to it.

They are bracing for a new wave!

 

[Niklas_nick]

Wow, from a non-american standpoint, this thread is a sh..hole in the words of your president. Can't believe how easy everyone makes it for themselves in blaming China, adopting the bulls... propaganda rhetoric about the "Chinese Virus" and "Chinas fault", making xenophobic comments, blaming Cook for this effort etc. This doesn't bring you any further, is egocentric and mostly based on conspiracy theories and xenophobia.

What Cook is doing, and what many businesses are doing is trying to get this pandemic under control as fast as possible in order to get back to business and minimise recession. Apple has special interest in China because most of their production is located there and next to all supply chain is in Asia. Of course they also help in other countries. $7 mio is peanuts to a company of their size. VW for example (with a fraction of evaluation and cash) has donated nearly 2.5 times as much in a single donation to try and get their factories and markets back to business.

 

[Septembersrain]

Why do they get anything if they "Beat" the virus already? Seems Tim knows the truth, how about the rest of the world know it too?

We all know citizens will not benefit from this, the CCP is happy though.

 

[MacBH928]

a capitalist will sell you his hanging rope. When its businesses, all virtues are thrown out of the window. The republic of China does not need Apple's measly $7M for its 1B+ nation.