It is not just the US government which is at loggerheads with Apple when it comes to confidentiality. Apparently, China had also asked the Cupertino-based company to submit its proprietary source code to the authorities. However, the company's general counsel stated that the request was turned down.

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Bruce Sewell, general counsel to Apple, appeared before the members of the House energy and commerce committee, which is trying to balance data confidentiality and law enforcement. Sewell quashed the long-standing rumor that Apple provided its source code to Chinese authorities.

The news is important as China is one of the most important markets for Apple. The company reported its first quarter revenue from China at $18.37 billion, up 14 percent on a year-on-year (Y-o-Y) basis. The rumors started floating around in 2015, when the Chinese government alluded that Apple has allowed "security checks."

Responding to a query raised by Indiana State Police, Sewell said, "We have not provided source code to the Chinese government. We did not have a key 19 months ago that we threw away." He further stated that "Those allegations are without merit."

Apple started encrypting its data stored in Chinese boundaries in August 2014. The company is fighting a tough battle with US authorities, following the San Bernardino iPhone case. The US is trying to paint Apple as a devious company which is ready to cooperate with foreign governments but not with the US.

Sewell's remark is the first high-profile instance of Apple trying to clear its name. The company had refused to build a backdoor for US authorities investigating San Bernardino case. Apple CEO Tim Cook had categorically stated that acceding to any such demand would set a worrying precedent.

Tagsapple, china, San Bernardino, Source Code