Are Apple and China Breaking Up?

The Journal.

The Wall Street Journal

Daily News, Business News, News

4.2 • 5.8K Ratings

🗓️ 14 December 2022

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For more than 20 years, Apple has relied on China to produce a majority of its products, especially its iPhones. But there have also been issues. As WSJ’s Aaron Tilley reports, recent turmoil at Chinese manufacturing facilities is disrupting Apple’s business and forcing the company to look elsewhere. Further Reading: -Apple Makes Plans to Move Production Out of China -Foxconn Letter Prodded China to Ease Zero-Covid Rules Further Listening: -China’s Biggest Protests in Decades -How Jiang Zemin Made China a Global Superpower Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you own an iPhone, there's a good chance it was made in a place called iPhone City.
0:13.1	It's not a literal city, it's a nickname for a mega factory in China's Hinan Province,
0:19.1	and it has a workforce larger than the entire population of Boise, Idaho.
0:24.2	That's more than 250,000 workers.
0:27.4	They live, they work there, they have cafes, basketball courts, I think spas, you know,
0:34.3	they try to make it a city within a city.
0:37.8	They have everything there to kind of facilitate a life for the workers there.
0:44.6	Our colleague Aaron Tilley covers Apple for the Wall Street Journal, and he says iPhone
0:49.3	City is vital to the company's operations.
0:52.6	In fact, Apple's entire production is entrenched in China.
0:56.9	And in recent years, that reliance on the country has put Apple in the middle of considerable
1:02.2	political tension.
1:03.2	The overseas businesses say that Beijing's hardline zero COVID strategy could ultimately lead
1:09.2	to empty shelves in stores all over the world.
1:12.6	President Trump imposed new tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports to the US.
1:18.3	American consumers caught in the middle.
1:19.8	China has taken advantage of our country for 30 years, and we can't do that anymore.
1:26.2	That was it.
1:29.9	Now Apple is looking elsewhere.
1:32.7	What is going to keep its machine running?
1:36.3	What is going to keep the iPhone train running, which has been the biggest generator of growth
1:41.2	for this company for the past decade and more?
	...

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