In the news: Apple removes apps, US-China trade-war saga, and vaccine scandal
August 22, 2018 | BY
Jacelyn JohnsonApple pulled out almost 25,000 gambling apps from its China app store, President Trump in no hurry to end the trade-war with China, and CFDA regulators sacked following vaccine scandals ignited by Changsheng
Apple pulls out gambling apps from China App Store
Apple Inc. had come under scrutiny in China again this week, resulting in the U.S. tech giant having to pull out almost 25,000 gambling-related apps from its App Store in China.
The removal of apps followed reports by state-run China Central Television of users losing money from using fake lottery app downloaded from the App Store. The television state criticized Apple for letting gambling apps proliferate and not protecting consumers.
Apple acknowledged that gambling apps are illegal in China and said it would be vigilant in finding and stopping those apps from being on the App Store.
This is not the first time Apple has come under fire in its second-largest market after the United States. Last year, it removed more than 22,000 apps in China including hundreds of virtual private network apps which allowed users to bypass China's strict internet censorship rules.
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Trump says “no time frame” for ending trade-war
U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview that he had “no time frame” for ending the trade dispute with China, as Washington pushes ahead this week with their plans to impose a second tranche of tariffs on $16 billion worth of Chinese imports despite possible negotiation efforts.
Beijing announced that a Chinese delegation led by Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen will meet with U.S. representatives led by Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs David Malpass to resume talks.
Trump told Reuters that he did not expect much progress from the talks with China this week. He further alleged that China is manipulating its currency and is deliberately devaluing the renminbi to gain an advantage in the trade conflict. China had refuted the claims stating that the exchange rate is market-driven, and not a tool to react to external pressures from trade conflicts
The latest $16 billion tariff proposals, along with earlier levies on $50 billion in Chinese imports, would mean that by next month roughly half of everything that American businesses import from China would confront special taxes, according to the Washington Post. [Read report here]
In addition, the U.S. Trade Representative's office have begun an extraordinary six-day public hearing on Trump's plans to tax an additional $200 billion in Chinese products.
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Government officials sacked following vaccine scandal
China sacked six senior officials from the nation's top food and drug regulator following a series of data forgery scandals ignited by vaccine maker Changchun Changsheng Bio-tech Co. Ltd.
Last month, China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) reported that Changsheng Bio-tech had systematically forged data in the production of about 113,000 rabies vaccines. The revelation spurred a national outrage and called for relevant regulators to be held accountable.
The government has ordered the seizure of all “illegal gains” by Changsheng, and said that tough penalties will be imposed on the company, without specifying the amount. The State Council also said the authorities would ensure strict pharmaceutical regulations and improve the technology used to make vaccines in China.
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