Apple has added new emoji to its system, but they could tick off Chinese leaders. The emoji include the Taiwanese flag for the first time, which is a hugely contested issue in China. As of this point, the sovereign status of Taiwan is in question because China says it’s a “renegade province” that needs to be returned to the mainland. China is against any references that infer, directly or indirectly, that imply independence of Taiwan.
The new emoji could put some pressure on the relations between Apple and China. For the first three months of this year, Apple sold almost $17 billion in product in Greater China, which means it is the second-most important area when it comes to revenue generation after North and South America.