Photo: Screenshot from Apple's new product release on Wednesday.

　　Chinese netizens have urged Apple to abide by the one-China principle, after the company listed Hong Kong and Taiwan on par with China on its latest new product announcement conference.

　　Hong Kong and Taiwan are inalienable parts of China, a fact that the United Nations recognizes.

　　Since the conference listed the US Virgin Islands on par with the US, Chinese netizens wonder why Apple can't place China in front of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

　　If the company is cautious in dealing with US territories, they should treat China the same way, customers said.

　　China is Apple's third largest market by sales.

　　Apple is not the first multinational company to adopt such a double standard. Ikea listed Taiwan as a country, causing similar disputes in August.

　　A double standard in listing Chinese territory will harm the brand image of these companies. It will also bring potential policy and legal risks, harming the company's own interests, netizens said.

　　Global Times