China iPhone Ban Escalation: Xi Jinping Government Says It Has Noticed 'Security Incidents' With Apple's iPhones

The China iPhone ban seems to be escalating further, with the Xi Jinping administration stating that it has noticed "security incidents" with Apple Inc.'s AAPL iPhones.

What Happened: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning issued a statement underlining that there have been "some security incidents" involving Apple's iPhones, reported Bloomberg.

See Also: Apple iPhone 15 Series With USB-C, Tetraprism Camera Announced: Check Price And Availability Details

"We notice that there have been some security incidents concerning Apple phones," said Ning during a regular press briefing. Ning did not elaborate exactly what these "security incidents" are that she refers to, so it is an open-ended statement.

The statement coincides with the launch of the iPhone 15 series and could potentially sway public opinion in a key Apple market. China alone accounts for 19% of Apple's revenue, so any adverse shift in public opinion could have a material impact on the company's topline.

This comes days after multiple reports of China banning iPhones and other foreign-made devices. While initial reports suggested that the ban was being enforced only on China's central government employees, another report suggested that the ban has been expanded to state-run agencies and other government-controlled organizations as well.

No Ban On iPhones: However, Ning seemed to quell these reports, stating that there is no such iPhone ban in place.

"China has not issued laws and regulations to ban the purchase of Apple or foreign brands' phones," she said.

This seems to run contrary to the resurgence of Chinese tech giant Huawei, coinciding with the alleged iPhone ban.

Huawei launched the Mate 60 series smartphone with a new 7-nanometer chipset. After witnessing a surge in demand, Huawei reportedly increased its shipment target by 20%.

It remains to be seen if the China iPhone ban is informal now that the foreign ministry spokeswoman has denied that there is an official ban in place.

Image credits – Shutterstock

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