Last week China gave the bell. A veto of iPhones by government bodies could be a heavy blow for Apple, which has one of its biggest strategic allies in the Asian giant. This ban is now in danger of becoming even bigger because, according to Bloomberg, the Chinese government has detected possible security issues in the company’s smartphones.

From love to veto. Until recently, Apple’s relationship with China was extraordinary (“symbiotic,” Tim Cook called it). The Cupertino firm’s main source of income comes from the Asian giant, resulting in rather controversial sacrifices.

iPhones are not secure. “We discovered that there were some security incidents related to Apple phones,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a press conference in Beijing. These statements came hours after the launch of the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro.

A veto that can be extended… Last week’s rumors caused Apple shares to experience a significant drop in the stock market, with Apple’s market valuation falling by $200 billion in just a few days. Theoretical security issues may justify activating the veto and extending it to both state institutions and state companies. There are 55 million civil servants in China, but employees of state-owned companies are even more.

…but everything is up in the air. The spokesman himself added: “China has not issued laws and regulations banning the purchase of Apple or foreign brand phones.” Although everything is unclear about this possible veto for now, Mao also noted that China attaches “great importance” to security and that all companies operating in China must comply with laws and regulations.

Huawei’s revenge? The main victim of the trade war between the United States and China was Huawei; first it was banned from having Google services and apps, then more restrictions were imposed. The company has become the scapegoat of this international conflict, which has many more aspects, and China may seek revenge by attacking the North American company, which is today the most important company in the world in terms of market value.

Too bad for Apple, bad for China. The potential veto seems likely to have significant disadvantages for both Apple and China: the Cupertino company depends on the giant for a large part of its production processes – something it is trying to solve at least partially – and of course the Chinese market is very appetizing with its population of 1,300 million. China also has a lot to lose (though perhaps not as much): Millions of Chinese employees work in factories producing Apple devices, and this may be a strategy implemented by Xi Jinping’s government to ensure that they continue to have the upper hand in China. Business relationship with Cupertino company.

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