World Tibet Network News Wesnesday, April 15, 1998

New York Times Newservice

April 15, 1998

HONG KONG - Apple Computer Inc., the self-styled rebel of the U.S. computer industry, has removed images of the Dalai Lama from its advertising campaign here for fear of offending China.

Apple has used Tibet's exiled spiritual leader in an ad campaign in the United States where he appears as one of a series of revolutionary figures drawn from the worlds of politics, academia, culture and business. But the Dalai Lama will be conspicuously absent from Apple's ads in Asia, which will instead feature Muhammad Ali, Mohandas Gandhi, Alfred Hitchcock, Pablo Picasso and Amelia Earhart

"Where there are political sensitivities, we did not want to offend anyone," said Sue Sara, a spokes-woman for Apple's Asia-Pacific division in Sydney. "We needed to decide on images that were appropriate across the region."

Ms. Sara said Beijing did not put pressure on Apple to leave the Dalai Lama out of its advertising. But she added, "Our management here is Chinese, so we're pretty aware of the sensitivities."

The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a decade in which China annexed his secluded country, remains a potent symbol of Chinese oppression.

Apple's decision drew a tart response from the Dalai Lama's spokesman in London, who said the Tibetan leader had given the company permission to use his image around the world and had not been told about the decision.

"It is unfortunate that they see an advantage in using him selectively," said Tseten Samdup, the spokesman for the Dalai Lama. "Obviously, it has to do with not offending China, which is such a huge market for them."

In fact, mainland China is currently a tiny market for Apple. It shipped just over 10,000 Macintosh and Notebook computers to the country in 1997, according to Dataquest, a market research firm.

But the overall Chinese market generated 2.2 million shipments of personal computers in 1997, mostly by domestic manufacturers, according to Dataquest. So there is plenty of room for Apple to grow.

Apple has given conflicting responses for its decision not to use the Dalai Lama. A company executive initially said Apple wanted people more recognizable in the region than the Dalai Lama. On Tuesday, Apple acknowledged that its decision had little to do with the notoriety of the Tibetan leader.