Explained It Was Purchased for Mother
Criticized for Buying Apple iPhone Instead of Huawei
Qian Hongchan (17), a two-time gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics and China's youngest Olympic gold medalist, has become the center of controversy for buying an iPhone.
On the 24th (local time), according to Chinese IT media MyDrivers and others, a post about Qian Hongchan recently purchasing an iPhone for her mother attracted attention on social networking services (SNS).
In the released video, Qian Hongchan is seen buying an iPhone at an Apple store. The video ranked first on the popular search list on the Chinese SNS Weibo. Qian expressed her desire to gift her mother a large-screen, high-capacity phone, and it is reported that she purchased the iPhone 15 Pro Max (256GB) White Titanium model recommended by the store staff.
Qian Hongchan's affection for her mother is special. When she won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics at the age of 14, she said, "I want to earn money to treat my mother." The hashtag "Qian Hongchan buys a phone for her mother" became the top trending search, but at the same time, criticism arose calling it an "inappropriate act." The reason was that a Chinese national athlete bought an Apple iPhone instead of a domestic brand like Huawei.
As the controversy intensified, Beijing News issued a commentary. The commentary stated, "Public figures' every action can be overinterpreted, but it is not right to judge personal choices based on morality," adding, "Patriotism is a deep emotion and responsibility, but directly linking it to consumer choices is a clear misunderstanding and abuse of patriotism."
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