This is very bad news for Apple, which recently displayed its historic cordial agreement with the Middle Kingdom. According to wall street journal, the Chinese government has just asked its administration to boycott iPhones and other smartphones from non-Chinese brands in the office. A shepherd’s answer to the shepherdess in a way, while Huawei and TikTok, two icons of Chinese tech, are banned in the United States.
For more than a decade, China has sought to reduce its reliance on foreign technology, requiring state-linked companies to adopt local technologies and encouraging domestic chip manufacturing. The launch of the Huawei Mate 60 Pro last week is in this sense a strong signal sent by China, since this smartphone seems to be equipped with a latest generation chip engraved in 7 nm, compatible with 5G and allowing satellite connection, despite United States sanctions. China aims for technological self-sufficiency, while Washington and its allies seek to prevent the country from gaining access to cutting-edge technologies. On both sides, leaks of sensitive data and national security issues are used to justify such decisions.
It is therefore a very bad blow that Beijing has just done to the Cupertino company, which is to launch its iPhone 15 with great fanfare on Tuesday, September 12.
Reduce dependence on China
“Even Apple is not immune […] in China, where it employs hundreds of thousands, if not more than a million workers, to assemble its products as part of its relationship with Foxconn“, said Tom Forte, an analyst at DA Davidson, quoted by Reuters. China accounts for a fifth of the turnover of the Apple firm, whose dependence on Foxconn remains a source of concern. Cupertino is trying to remedy this. problem by launching production units elsewhere in Asia, in Vietnam or India in particular.
For the release of the iPhone 14, Apple had already anticipated possible problems in China. Part of the production of the 14 and 14 Plus models was thus transferred to India.
On an official visit to China last week, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said companies had complained to her that the country had become “unlivable“, pointing to fines, searches and other means of pressure that taint business activity in the world’s second largest economy.