
Has Apple been trapped by China? Not so fast, analysts say
Advertisement
'If they were to have it to do over again, would they have done anything differently?' asked Meg Rithmire, a Harvard Business School professor, during an event Wednesday at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.
Probably not, she said. There has been 'this huge wave of innovation and production going on in China, and to miss out on that would be to not be the company that they are today', Rithmire continued.
Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company, by business journalist Patrick McGee, explores Apple's entry into China from the 1990s onwards.
It argues, in McGee's words, that the iconic Silicon Valley company made the 'rookie and calamitous mistake of consolidating all its eggs in one basket' and doubling down 'when that basket turned out to be more of a ruthless, authoritarian surveillance state' than previously thought.
Advertisement
McGee, who covered Apple for the Financial Times, also argues that 'China wouldn't be China today without Apple' – a view that Rithmire partly challenged.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South China Morning Post
39 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
China creates new visa for young STEM talent in national tech drive
China has launched a new visa category for young science and technology specialists as part of its national push for technological innovation and self-reliance. The State Council, China's cabinet, said on Thursday that under revised foreign entry regulations, eligible young science and technology professionals would be able to apply for 'young talent' K visas from October 1. It did not define the category but the Talented Young Scientist Programme has an upper age limit of 45 and the Outstanding Young Scientists (Overseas) Fund Project sets the upper age range at 40. State broadcaster CCTV reported that the K-type visa would be issued to young foreign professionals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics who had graduated from 'renowned' domestic or overseas universities or research institutions, or those who were engaged in related education or research at such institutions. Details about the requirements would be posted on Chinese embassy and consulate websites, it said. 'The K-type visa only has specific requirements regarding age, educational background, or work experience, and does not require a domestic employer or inviting entity. The application process will also be more streamlined,' it said.


South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump's chip deal signals a new ‘pay-to-play' China trade policy, analysts say
US President Donald Trump's 'unprecedented' deal to allow exports of some advanced chips to China in exchange for a cut of the revenues – and hints that similar deals for other industries are being considered – signals that Washington is moving towards a potentially dangerous 'pay to play' foreign trade policy, analysts said. Conflicts of interest loom if the revenue-sharing model takes root, which could make it harder for American investors and exporters to do business in the world's second-largest economy, they added. Trump announced a deal on Monday by which the leading American chip designers AMD and Nvidia will be allowed to export several advanced chip models to China, with the companies contributing 15 per cent of the sales revenue to the US government. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday said the export revenue-sharing deal could serve as a blueprint for other industries. In a TV interview with Bloomberg Surveillance, Bessent praised the arrangement as a 'unique solution' from Trump. 'I think we could see it in other industries over time,' Bessent said in the interview. 'Right now, this is unique, but now that we have the model and the beta test, why not expand it?' Analysts said AMD and Nvidia could comfortably share revenue because their deals covered older-model artificial intelligence accelerators that they had custom-made for the Chinese market. But other companies might face far greater problems if the US government asks them for a cut of the sales from their mainstream products.


South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's ‘virtually unchanged' population stabilises for first time in decade
Hong Kong's population has stabilised and remains 'virtually unchanged' for the first time in a decade, following an influx of talent in recent years after waves of emigration. The Census and Statistics Department said on Thursday that Hong Kong's midyear population stood at 7,527,500, a slight increase of 3,400 from 12 months ago, or a rise of about 0.005 per cent. 'The population remained virtually unchanged, as compared with that at mid-2024,' the government said, attributing it to ongoing measures to attract talent and import workers. 'Over the past few years, many people have moved to Hong Kong from mainland China and other places around the world.' The inflow had offset the impact of the natural population decrease to stabilise the overall number, the department said. The latest population marked an increase of more than 180,000 compared with mid-2022, it added. It is the first time since 2015 that the population has not changed by at least 0.2 per cent.