BBC News Top Stories-Business Foxconn iPhone-maker investigated by Chinese authorities
October 23, 2023 3 min 507 words
这则新闻涉及中国对台湾iPhone制造商富士康的调查。富士康是全球最大的iPhone制造商之一，也是世界上最大的雇主之一。中国政府声称他们进行了涉及富士康在两个中国省份的税务检查，并且对富士康在河南和湖北两个省份的土地使用进行了现场调查。 富士康表示将积极合作进行调查，强调了他们在全球的法律合规原则。然而，有人认为，此次调查与富士康创始人郭台铭参加台湾总统选举有关，他已辞去富士康董事会的职务。这一事件突显了台湾与中国之间的复杂政治关系。 新闻中提到中国强调，国家不应同时与中国和台湾建立正式外交关系，而美国是台湾最重要的盟友之一。这一事件也反映出了台湾与中国之间的紧张关系，以及选举结果可能对该地区的和平与稳定产生重大影响。 这次调查引发了许多政治和经济问题，强调了全球企业在复杂地缘政治环境下的挑战。希望中国的行动能够确保公平和合法的商业实践，并不受政治因素的干扰。
China has launched an investigation into Taiwan-based iPhone-maker Foxconn, Chinese state media reported on Sunday.
The Global Times, citing anonymous sources, says officials conducted tax inspections at Foxconn businesses in two Chinese provinces.
Foxconn says it will co-operate with the investigation.
The firm, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, is the biggest maker of iPhones and is one of the largest employers in the world.
The Global Times also said China's natural resources department made on-site investigations into land use by key Foxconn businesses in the provinces of Henan and Hubei.
"Legal compliance everywhere we operate around the world is a fundamental principle of Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn)," the company said in a statement.
"We will actively cooperate with the relevant units on the related work and operations," it added.
Foxconn's founder Terry Gou is running as an independent candidate in Taiwan's presidential election that is due to take place in January.
The election is expected to have a significant influence on Taiwan's relationship with China given tensions between them have ratcheted up in the past year. As Beijing's claims over the self-governed island have grown more assertive, presidential candidates have pitched their differing visions on how to respond.
Mr Gou has positioned himself, based on his years of experience working in China, as an alternative to the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is seen as hostile to Beijing.
But he said he was not scared of China when he announced his candidacy: "If the Chinese Communist party regime were to say 'If you don't listen to me, I'll confiscate your assets from Foxconn,' I would say 'Yes, please, do it!'
He resigned his seat on Foxconn's board in September after announcing that he was entering the presidential race. He handed over the management of the company in 2019 when he announced his first run for the presidency but retains a 12.5% stake in Foxconn.
At that time he was a member of the Kuomintang (KMT), a major political party in Taiwan which is seen as Beijing-friendly.
The Global Times reported that "many people" in Taiwan suspect Foxconn is being investigated because Mr Gou is running for the presidency.
However, the state-run paper added that Chinese experts said the investigation "is normal and legitimate, as any company goes through tax inspections".
The Global Times also cited experts as saying the investigation may impact the elections and that "if the secessionists who seek 'Taiwan independence' win the elections, that would be a huge disaster to the peace and stability of the region, and the Chinese people of both sides of the Taiwan Straits, including the ones in the business circle, should work together to prevent disaster from happening."
Beijing insists that nations cannot have official relations with both China and Taiwan, with the result that Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with only a few countries. Although the the US maintains diplomatic relations only with China, it remains Taiwan's most important ally.