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RAVI MATTU: Apple, Starbucks, and the NBA--
three western brands that would like
to be known for progressive politics,
but have been caught up in the Hong Kong protests.
Just a day after being attacked by Beijing,
Apple ditched an app that was used by demonstrators
to track in real time the location of Hong Kong police.
The company says HKmap.live contravened its guidelines
and broke Hong Kong law.
Apple boss Tim Cook has been a champion of progressive causes
such as gay rights and data privacy,
but the company makes about a third
of its profits in greater China, leading to accusations
of double standards.
The NBA took an even bigger hit.
Basketball is one sport that has really conquered China.
But after the general manager of the Houston Rockets
tweeted, "Stand with Hong Kong," Beijing hit back hard.
Chinese broadcasters refuse to air
pre-season games and sponsors dropped the Rockets.
The NBA floundered, even though it's well known as a league
that allows its athletes and executives to speak freely.
Initially it said the tweet was regrettable,
before backtracking and saying the official
was entitled to say what he wanted.
Starbucks has been hit too, only this time by the protesters.
The coffee chain is operated in Hong Kong by the restaurant
group Maxim's.
After the daughter of the group's founder
called the protesters rioters, many of its shops
were smashed up.
Last year in the US, when Starbucks
was accused of racial bias, it shut all of its stores
in the country and enforced training for its staff.
But this time, it's kept quiet.
Analysts say the company can do nothing
to alienate China, one of its biggest markets
where it has almost 4,000 stores.
Why does this matter?
Because Hong Kong is the front line for China's interactions
with the rest of the world.
Can a company maintain its liberal credentials
while making money in authoritarian China?
What's happened here over the past few weeks
has shone a light on the challenge
of reconciling these two goals.