China Could Strike Back at Apple, The Global Times Says

China could hit back at Apple if President Donald Trump keeps up the pressure on trade, state-controlled Chinese tabloid The Global Times said Thursday.

China threatened on Friday to hit $60 billion of American imports with tariffs if the U.S. follows through with plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on up to $200 billion of Chinese-made products.

Apple’s “eye-catching success achieved in the Chinese market may provoke nationalist sentiment if US President Donald Trump’s recently adopted protectionist measures hit Chinese companies hard,” The Global Times said in a business story published Thursday, the day Apple’s market cap reached $1 trillion.

The story argues that Apple should be forced to share more of its profits with Chinese workers that produce its iPhones.

“China is by far the most important overseas market for the US-based Apple, leaving it exposed if Chinese people make it a target of anger and nationalist sentiment,” the story continues. “China doesn’t want to close its doors to Apple despite the trade conflict, but if the US company wants to earn good money in China, it needs to share its development dividends with the Chinese people.”

The Global Times has in the past advocated targeting shares of big American companies. Now it is focused on using companies that sell into the Chinese market or whose supply-chains depend on China manufacturing to combat U.S. trade policies.

“The trade conflict initiated by Trump administration reminds China to re-examine China-US trade. It seems US companies doing business in China are the biggest winners from China-US trade. The Chinese market is vital for many top US brands, giving Beijing more leeway to play hardball in the trade conflict,” The Global Times reports.