U.S. tech company Apple plans to pull away from China and invest within the United States.
Welcome to VOA Asia Weekly. I'm Chris Casquejo in Washington. That story is coming up, but first, making headlines:
“It's very unfair. India charges US auto tariffs higher than 100%. China's average tariff on our products is twice what we charge them.”
U.S. President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on all Chinese imports from 10 percent to 20 percent on Tuesday. The Trump administration says that the tariffs are necessary to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. In response, China retaliated.
“If the U.S. really wants to resolve the fentanyl issue, it should consult with China on the basis of equality.”
China imposed 10 to 15 percent tariffs on $21 billion worth of US farm goods. These new levies are expected to shift trade, with China turning to suppliers in Brazil, Australia, and the European Union.
Fires have forced thousands of people to evacuate from Ofunato in northeastern Japan. The Japanese government has deployed more than 2,000 firefighters to battle the biggest forest fire in the area in three decades.
Rescuers are using rubber boats to evacuate residents trapped by floods, as thousands of people have evacuated from Indonesia’s capital. Jakarta’s governor has raised the alert level to the second-highest, critical stage, and urged local governments to activate water pumps to drain flooded areas.
Russia and Myanmar signed an agreement on Tuesday for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Myanmar, following a meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the chief of Myanmar’s ruling military junta. After the meeting, Putin thanked the Myanmar leader for sending six baby elephants to Moscow.
A U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in the southern city of Busan, South Korea, as a show of force against North Korea. The arrival follows a missile test last month, supervised by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, who criticized the U.S. aircraft carrier’s visit, calling it part of a "policy of confrontation" against North Korea.
Apple announced it would spend $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years and create 20,000 jobs, signaling its pro-U.S. jobs and investment policy. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would double tariffs on China, where most Apple products are made. VOA’s Michelle Quinn reports.
Many iPhones and other Apple products are made in China. In recent years, Apple has expanded its manufacturing into other countries such as Vietnam and India. But not so much to the United States.
That is changing. Apple said that over the next four years it would invest $500 billion in the U.S. — with plans that include building a Texas facility to manufacture artificial intelligence servers — and commit to creating 20,000 U.S. jobs.
Apple’s announcement follows a meeting between CEO Tim Cook and President Donald Trump. The iPhone maker is among U.S. firms recently announcing domestic investment and job creation.
“They are going to build here instead because they don’t want to pay the tariffs.”
In a social media post, Trump doubled the 10% universal tariff imposed on China, effective Tuesday.
Observers say that Apple’s move is part of its trend to diversify its supply chain and is not related to Trump’s tariffs on China.
“They have been for some years in the process of moving production away from China anyway pre-tariff. There’s still a substantial amount in China. But there’s a trend here that’s clear, and I think Apple will continue that.”
While much of Apple’s plans had been known, the company is signaling its pro-U.S. jobs and investment policy, a priority for the Trump administration.
“They are just taking the opportunity to use press releases to get some more public exposure for a lot of things they were already spending and obviously align well with a pro-U.S. policy.”
As part of its U.S. investment, Apple said it would produce its advanced silicon chips in the Arizona plant of TSMC, the Taiwanese semiconductor firm.
Michelle Quinn, VOA News.
Visit voanews.com for the most up-to-date stories.
I’m Chris Casquejo.
And finally, Japanese baseball fans got an up-close glimpse of Los Angeles Dodgers' game memorabilia.
The Major League Baseball franchise created an exhibition for baseball fans in Tokyo, including gear from Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. The exhibition showcases home run balls, game-used jerseys, and the World Series trophy.
Thanks for watching VOA Asia Weekly.
