One of China's state-run tabloids criticized the New York Times in an editorial on Friday, commenting on the US style of reporting after the Chinese government requested Apple to remove the newspaper's app in the Chinese iTunes store.
On Friday, The Global Times editorial said that in the past four years, the New York Times had been "trying to wield influence in China's internal affairs" by doing investigative stories on sensitive subjects.
No examples were given in the editorial and said, "China is sincere in opening itself up but the prerequisite is to ensure its political security. The Western media should not question China if it is to close its doors by scrutinizing one particular issue."
The Global Times said that Apple "cares most about business, so it is willing to respect Chinese laws," and said that the company faced tough competition from domestic brands in China.
The New York Times have cited that a recent investigative report on government subsidies offered to Apple's supplier Foxconn - also known as Hon Hai Precison Industry Co - may likely be a reason for the ban of the app. The newspaper also cited that the app was removed shortly after a journalist made requests to government authorities, Foxconn and Apple regarding their comments about the investigation.
The newspaper had also called on Apple to reconsider the ban and said that it is a wider attempt of the Chinese government to prevent readers from accessing the U.S. publication.
The Chinese government has blocked several foreign publications from being browsed through the internet such as the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. However, both WSJ and FT are still available in the Chinese app store on Friday.
When asked about the apps on Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang remarked "The development of the internet in China must respect China's laws and regulations in principle."
Apple removed NYT's English and Chinese apps on December 23 as requested by the Chinese government.
