14 DAY TRIAL // You hit me, we hit you. This seems to be the motto of team Huawei after the arrest of CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada, with one supplier fighting back against the United States by threatening its employees with fines if they purchase iPhones.
While Apple has nothing to do with the troubled tech giant in this growing tension between China and the United States over the arrest of Huawei’s executive, LCD panel manufacturer Menpad believes that the best way to show its support for the company that gives it millions is to forbid its workers to purchase American devices.
And needless to say, American devices pretty much come down to iPhones, so Menpad says that whoever buys an Apple smartphone will be fined with the same amount they paid for the device.
A report from SCMP reveals that this policy also includes 15 percent subsidies offered to employees who purchase Huawei or ZTE phones, as the latter brand is also involved in a similar dispute against the United States.
New policy valid for three years
Furthermore, Menpad employees who sign contracts with American companies would receive double the commission they normally get, all in an attempt to fight back at the United States for the way it treats Huawei.
While this isn’t such a big hit for Apple, this decision could actually be embraced by other Huawei suppliers in the coming days and weeks, especially if the dispute between the US and China doesn’t come to an end. Wanzhou faces extradition from Canada to the United States, and a decision in this regard is expected this week. She is accused of violating sanctions that the US imposed on Iran.
Huawei reached out to its more than 2,000 suppliers to call for support and criticize the United States for arresting the company’s CFO. The Chinese government has also requested the US to release Huawei’s executive.