Fortune has published a letter from a reader, “Jake_in_Seoul,” an American expat based in South Korea:
Much has been written lately in the U.S. press about Apple and China, but from my perspective on the ground — as a long-time Apple investor who speaks fair Mandarin Chinese and has been in and out of China for business and personal reasons for the past 18 years — what I read is almost always incorrect. Sometimes egregiously so. Not necessarily in the facts, but in the context.
Here are three simple things the American press usually gets wrong about China and Apple:
1. There is not just one China.
2. Apple is not just an exclusive aspirational brand for the wealthy.
3. Apple benefits from the basic pro-American attitude of many individual Chinese.
Read the full letter here.
I think the press gets most things wrong about China, and everything else.
As long as you are talking about the US press, you are right. European, Indian and Canadian press paint a different picture. You can pick up most of these news sources on the internet.
That is what I hate most about the US press. In 1959, all of the news outlets in the US claimed that Hawaii voted to become the 50th state. Lies…vile lies. Everyone on the islands know darn well that the vote was FORCED into the natives. Not only that, but all of the votes came from military personnel that was stationed there. The natives never got a chance to choose their destiny.
Don’t for get the Native Americans. Actually, this colonial behavior has been apart of human culture since recorded time, well at least Western culture. Egypt, Rome, Grease, later on, England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Holland… Later still USA, USSR. Now potentially, China and Russia…
I think you will find that China has already been a colonial power longer than the west as we know even existed. Then of course there’s the Persians, South American cultures in fact just about any organised society you can mention including the Celtic and Nordic expansions and various African and Asian civilisations. All back to the dawn of history.
It seems, taking your neighbors land is too irresistible.
Military are required to specify a home of origin at the time they enlist or are drafted. The Military was NOT able to vote for statehood for Hawaii unless they were from there originally. Don’t mix revisionism and sour grapes with the truth.
Amazing article. Thank you.
Read the full letter. The summary is way to short and almost un-informative. Truth and real facts are hard to come by for investors like myself.
“In sum, for the long-term I count China squarely in the Apple camp. There will be many twists and turns, but this trip has confirmed my high optimism about the future of Apple here.”
Great read. There is much to learn about China but I feel like I’ve made some progress after that summary.
I say all the time that everyday I learn something new and today is no different. Good read
Excellent article. I hope Jake’s Korean visa isn’t pulled.
I dunno, seems like this guy has the misdirected preconceptions. Most Americans I know have neither an opinion nor a care of China, other than thinking it’s a land where counterfeits and shitty stuff comes from. Whether they, or Koreans, or Brits or any other peoples love or hate America is pretty much not on anybody’s radar over here. Come, don’t come, ain’t gonna change my day.
You should travel a bit and especially to China. The first time I visited China, I was amazed at how different the country was from what I was expecting to find.
There is a hell of a lot more interest in technology than I anticipated and Chinese cities have more shops selling technology than equivalent sized cities in the west. A lot of Chinese people seem to be very affluent.
You may be correct in saying that most Americans have neither an opinion nor a care of China, but that is more a reflection on those people rather than on the Chinese. It’s uncanny how Americans try to dismiss China in a similar way to how Microsoft supporters try dismiss Apple as a threat, but it would be a huge mistake to underestimate China.
I grew up being informed of “The Red Menace.”
MDM:
Print this in full. That article was better than a good read, it was a hell of a great read and something that the world NEEDS!!