China’s government controlled media is continuing its campaign against Apple, with a Monday report that called the Cupertino firm’s recent response to criticism about their allegedly biased warranty policies “empty and self-praising.”
The People’s Daily newspaper ran a front-page story deriding Apple’s usual tight-lipped public relations procedures, which denied Chinese journalists’ calls for interviews regarding a recent hit piece aired by the state-run China Central Television, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The television broadcast, seen by many as part of a smear campaign against Apple, said the company was “biased against Chinese consumers in its warranty and consumer service policies,” saying the company fixed faulty products instead of issuing new devices as it does in other countries.
After the piece aired, a number of Chinese celebrities posted their supposed outrage against Apple on the popular Weibo microblogging service. The messages appeared to be orchestrated however, as one post by local celebrity Peter Ho included what appeared to be instructions on when to post his “angry” message.
Apple responded to the CCTV spot on its Chinese website with a statement noting that it operates under China’s rules and regulations.
“Apple’s Chinese warranty is more or less the same as in the U.S. and all over the world,” the statement said.
Apple saw revenues for the Greater China region increase 67% year-over-year, and the country is expected to surpass the United States as Apple’s largest market in the near future.
