US House Of Representatives Members Ask For Explanation From Apple Regarding Jon Stewart's Cancellation Of Events And Its Relations With China

Republican US House of Representatives member Michael Gallagher (photo: twitter @MikeforWI)

JAKARTA - Members of the United States House of Representatives asked Apple Inc to explain the end of political comedian Jon Stewart's show on its streaming service. According to a letter made public on Wednesday, November 15 citing concerns that content related to China was the cause of its cancellation.

The New York Times reported last month that Stewart's show on Apple's streaming service would end, as a result of creative differences. The newspaper said that Stewart told his staff members that potential topics related to China and artificial intelligence were causing concern for Apple executives.

Apple Inc., declined to comment to the Times.

"While companies have the right to determine what content is appropriate for their streaming services, coercive tactics from foreign powers should not directly or indirectly influence those determinations," said the Chairman of the US House Select Committee on Competition with the Chinese Communist Party in a letter to the Chief Executive Apple, Tim Cook.

The letter asks Apple representatives to provide a brief explanation of their concerns by December 15, 2023. They also say they hope to speak with Stewart's representatives.

"To reassure the creative community in light of these reports, we also respectfully ask Apple to publicly commit that content that could be considered critical of CCP or PRC is accepted on Apple TV+ and other Apple services," said the letter, signed by the panel chairs Republican Party, Representative Michael Gallagher, and Member of the House of Representatives, Raja Krishnamoorthi.

The letter was released ahead of an expected dinner on Wednesday evening where US business leaders will dine with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco as he seeks to court American companies and counter his latest efforts to attract foreign investment.

The dinner at the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) will follow a day after talks between Xi and US President Joe Biden, aimed at stabilizing tense relations between the world's two largest economies.

The House committee has made China's control of the media a focus of its work.

US lawmakers have long expressed concerns about potential Chinese government censorship given the ruling Communist Party's tight media control. These concerns especially apply to Hollywood films, as some studios have changed or self-censored scripts to satisfy Chinese government watchdogs and gain access to the country's market.