In a bid to show support for Huawei following the recent arrest of the company’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada, businesses in China are urging the staff to boycott Apple and apparently even threatening to punish those who don’t comply. For many people in the country, it seems the arrest isn’t just about the ongoing trade tussle between US and China or sanctions or laws, it has become a point of national pride.
There have been calls to subsidise Huawei products and many firms have apparently already started offering to fund 10 to 20 per cent of the Huawei device cost for their employees. Others are willing to cover even the full amount of purchase. According to a report, the show of support for Huawei has been widespread, ranging from Information Technology firms to food companies.