Apple supplier Foxconn forced to shut Vietnam factory due to protests
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](http://photos.appleinsidercdn.com/foxconn-121016.jpg)
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.
![Foxconn](http://photos.appleinsidercdn.com/foxconn-121016.jpg)
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.
Comments
Please help the people of this small country protect its territory... https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/put-sanctions-china-invading-vietnam-territory-deployment-oil-rig-haiyang-981/p2b7Rnnv
"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".
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.
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?
"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
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?!
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.
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.
Oil-drilling by Chinese companies is to blame for the rioting.
yes, I read the article. I was being facetious.
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...
All Foxconn problems automatically become Apple problems in the press, even though Foxconn manufactures for lots of tech companies.
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
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.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101674053
"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."