Apple supplier Foxconn forced to shut Vietnam factory due to protests

Posted:
in General Discussion edited May 2014
Apple's chief manufacturing partner, Foxconn, has been forced to shut down its operations in Vietnam for three days due to anti-China protests over oil drilling.

Foxconn


China recently started drilling for oil near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, a chain of islands controlled by the People's Republic of China, but claimed by Vietnam as well as Taiwan. Dispute over ownership of the islands has prompted protesters in Vietnam to ransack factories near Ho Chi Minh City.

Violence already forced manufacturers associated with shoemakers Nike and Adidas, as well as Walmart, to halt productions. And now, as a cautionary measure, Foxconn has done the same, according to the Financial Times.

In a statement, Foxconn said it has done so to "ensure the safety" of its employees. Foxconn workers in Vietnam have been instructed to take a three-day leave of absence starting Saturday.

At least 21 people are said to have been killed thus far in the violence.

Foxconn is Apple's chief supplier and assembler, responsible for the lion's share of production of devices like the iPhone and iPad. It's unknown how much of Foxconn's Apple-related production is accomplished in Vietnam.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 36
    zeromeuszeromeus Posts: 182member
    China needs to get the h*ll out of Vietnam! How dare they invade Vietnam's waters and steal Vietnam's property. I don't support violence, but what's happening in the past decade where China decides to steal the paracel islands from Vietnam had prompted many Vietnamese from both the homeland and overseas to protest. I'm glad the citizens are finally doing something about it. It's time the Chinese get their greedy rear end out of Vietnam and leave its people alone.
  • Reply 2 of 36
    zeromeuszeromeus Posts: 182member
  • Reply 3 of 36
    digital_guydigital_guy Posts: 162member
    Wow, I could see this one coming. Just knew that the ugly head of politics, and not without bias, would find its way into the comments.

    "Please help the people of this small country protect its territory... "

    The Americans have already tragically heeded a similar plea for help once before, and at great cost, beginning in the early 1960s. Part of me wants to say, "not this time".
  • Reply 4 of 36
    Shouldn't the last sentence read, "It's unknown IF ANY of Foxconn's Apple-related production is accomplished in Vietnam."

    As written it's deceptively implying that at least some production for Apple is affected by this factory closure which isn't publicly known at all.
  • Reply 5 of 36

    This is protests about oil drilling -- and it likely spilled over to disrupt more than FoxConn.

     

    FoxConn has .9 million workers and they manufacture electronics for almost everyone. How does Apple own everything that is going down in that country now?

     

    The next Flu virus will of course be involved with the iPhone 6. When will Apple stop?

  • Reply 6 of 36
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Shouldn't the last sentence read, "It's unknown IF ANY of Foxconn's Apple-related production is accomplished in Vietnam."

    As written it's deceptively implying that at least some production for Apple is affected by this factory closure which isn't publicly known at all.

    "Apple data shows that the world's largest contract maker of electronic goods (Foxconn/Hon-Hai) runs a production and assembly line for Apple products in Bac Giagn Province in northern Vietnam."
    http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aeco/201405160024.aspx
    http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/02/purported-redesigned-apple-earbuds-leaked-in-vietnam/

    This is a pretty cool interactive map showing the purported factory locations for Apple products.
    https://www.chinafile.com/Who-Supplies-Apple-Its-Not-Just-China-Interactive-Map
  • Reply 7 of 36
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member
    Wow, I could see this one coming. Just knew that the ugly head of politics, and not without bias, would find its way into the comments.

    Where are the "ugly" / "biased" comments? All I see are a few posts trying to defend their county from China's land grab. Hasn't China got enough land already?!
  • Reply 8 of 36
    stargazerctstargazerct Posts: 227member
    If it's unknown how much of Apple's production is done at this plant, then why are you tying Apple's name to the location without verifying facts first? Clicks, perhaps? Sad, really sad you have to go that far to get someone interested in a story%u2026in fact, I'll call it deceitful.

    I'm sure comments of how Apple is to blame for the riots are to follow shortly.
  • Reply 9 of 36
    joogabahjoogabah Posts: 139member
    Why do people identify so passionately with abstractions like nations? Are Americans geniuinely concerned with something that likely has no impact at all on ordinary people's lives in either country or is this just more propaganda from American interests trying to influence public opinion for their own concealed reasons?
  • Reply 10 of 36
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member

    I'm sure comments of how Apple is to blame for the riots are to follow shortly.

    Oil-drilling by Chinese companies is to blame for the rioting.
  • Reply 11 of 36
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Digital_Guy View Post



    Wow, I could see this one coming. Just knew that the ugly head of politics, and not without bias, would find its way into the comments.



    "Please help the people of this small country protect its territory... "



    The Americans have already tragically heeded a similar plea for help once before, and at great cost, beginning in the early 1960s. Part of me wants to say, "not this time".

    LMAO. Amazing and yet embarrassing at the same time that there are some people who believe that American involvement in any conflict, let alone Vietnam, is ever part of a response to a "tragic plea for help"

     

    What staggering ignorance and naivety. 

  • Reply 12 of 36
    stargazerctstargazerct Posts: 227member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post





    Oil-drilling by Chinese companies is to blame for the rioting.

    yes, I read the article. I was being facetious.

  • Reply 13 of 36
    laynglayng Posts: 11member
    Isn't Hon-Hai based in Taiwan and not mainland China? Taiwan is not doing the drilling.
  • Reply 14 of 36
    zeromeuszeromeus Posts: 182member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by layng View Post



    Isn't Hon-Hai based in Taiwan and not mainland China? Taiwan is not doing the drilling.



    The problem here is that the people attack ALL businesses with Chinese characters on any factory, shop, store, whatever exists in Vietnam with Chinese characters in their business name.  This protest basically is a huge cry from the Vietnamese to tell China that they no longer need to put up with this greed.

     

    Unfortunately, Taiwan uses Chinese, therefore, they become an unfortunate target.  The other issue is that Taiwan also tried to claim the same area...

  • Reply 15 of 36
    suddenly newtonsuddenly newton Posts: 13,819member
    Shouldn't the last sentence read, "It's unknown IF ANY of Foxconn's Apple-related production is accomplished in Vietnam."

    As written it's deceptively implying that at least some production for Apple is affected by this factory closure which isn't publicly known at all.

    All Foxconn problems automatically become Apple problems in the press, even though Foxconn manufactures for lots of tech companies.
  • Reply 16 of 36
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by layng View Post



    Isn't Hon-Hai based in Taiwan and not mainland China? Taiwan is not doing the drilling.

     

    "One China" principle.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_China_Principle

  • Reply 17 of 36
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Digital_Guy View Post



    The Americans have already tragically heeded a similar plea for help once before, and at great cost, beginning in the early 1960s. Part of me wants to say, "not this time".

     

    The "mind your own business" and the "appeasement doesn't work" perspectives are both legitimate, if diametrically opposed in their extremes.  Somehow, even-minded people must find a way to bear witness to injustices, and yet keep an eye to both sides of an issue.  These are huge problems, and can't possibly be solved in the comments section of a web story from a technology site.  So let's just accept the story and ask how this affects Apple, rather than getting involved in the dispute ourselves. Thank you.

  • Reply 18 of 36
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    zeromeus wrote: »

    The problem here is that the people attack ALL businesses with Chinese characters on any factory, shop, store, whatever exists in Vietnam with Chinese characters in their business name.  This protest basically is a huge cry from the Vietnamese to tell China that they no longer need to put up with this greed.

    Unfortunately, Taiwan uses Chinese, therefore, they become an unfortunate target.  The other issue is that Taiwan also tried to claim the same area...
    This explains what the riots are prompted by. Companies from not only Mainland China but also Malaysia, Taiwan and others are attracting attacks.
    http://www.cnbc.com/id/101674053
  • Reply 19 of 36
    Vietnam has been drilling, China has been drilling...heck, why do we get involved in another Vietnam war with China to protect Apple as some of you have suggested?
  • Reply 20 of 36
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post





    "Apple data shows that the world's largest contract maker of electronic goods (Foxconn/Hon-Hai) runs a production and assembly line for Apple products in Bac Giagn Province in northern Vietnam."

    http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aeco/201405160024.aspx

    http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/02/purported-redesigned-apple-earbuds-leaked-in-vietnam/



    This is a pretty cool interactive map showing the purported factory locations for Apple products.

    https://www.chinafile.com/Who-Supplies-Apple-Its-Not-Just-China-Interactive-Map

     

    1. Nothing that you posted invalidates my statement that you were replying to in any way.  Everything is simply purported, guessed, suspected.  

    2.  Focus Taiwan??  Seriously? And of course in their "article" they don't given any evidence of this "Apple data."

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