Apple are beholden to China. Sure, China is a huge market for them but I think the bigger issue is manufacturing: if they piss China off they won’t have anything to sell, anywhere! I’m sure Apple execs know this and I hope they’re quickly planning to reduce, if not remove this dependency.
Even disregarding the human rights violations and lack of labor protection, there are fundamental problems with Apple's relationship with China. This isn't a business decision we're talking about, this is a domestic supercorporation using China as a crutch. America turns the other eye because tax money spends well, but the PRC keeps our highest-valued public company on a leash. That's... fucked up, considering the politics of the situation.
If you think the leash doesn't hurt and China is liable to be friendly towards America, that's your moral crusade. In my opinion, things have already gone too far.
Apple invested too much in China. I doubt they can wean off the Chinese market and labors/suppliers. the news about Apple throttled AirDrop during Chinese protests is a tell.
China is never going to mess with Apple in any significant way. Not only would it be cutting off their nose to spite their face in terms of unemployment, it would immediately lead to capital flight out of China which they absolutely can't afford.
It'd basically undermine the entire economic model that has led to China's rise out of poverty over the past 30-40 years.
And Apple is such a high profile company that it would likely cause an international incident.
Apple's issue isn't just about 'losing money'. Their supply and manufacturing chain is in China. They have their throat laid bare on this one, and if they stood on principle, their throat would be cut in short order.
Apple is probably mad busy lobbying on behalf of China's tech industry, like how they fought the Uigher forced labor bill. Apple has sunk so much investment in China that their all-in China-first strategy is starting to hurt them now.
I believe giving into China was a mistake for Apple executives ethically, commercially and politically.
In the long term they’ll be forced to give up all the commercial surpluses to local mega apps by the government, and the political/ethical problems require no elaboration.
That's a two way street. It's not that China has Apple over a barrel. There is a MAD aspect to the relationship. Apple is definitely trying to get out of China as a manufacturing dependency. They'd rather not be banned from the market, but they are preparing for that. Let's rip the band-aid off, I say.
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