A forthcoming book titled Apple in China aims to explore how a clever decision made in 1996 now leaves Apple at the mercy of an authoritarian regime.
Subtitled “the capture of the world’s greatest company,” it includes insights from over 200 former Apple executives and engineers and serves as both a historical overview and a cautionary narrative.
We have consistently highlighted Apple’s increasingly precarious relationship with China.
Firstly, there’s the inherent risk of becoming overly reliant on any single nation. The COVID-19 pandemic originated there and severely affected manufacturing capabilities. Disruptions can arise from natural disasters or political turmoil, making it prudent to diversify manufacturing locations globally.
Secondly, the US-China relationship has often been contentious. The trade war instigated during the first Trump administration marked a significant low period, and ongoing hostilities perpetuate the risk of trade disruptions.
Thirdly, Apple’s close ties to a country with an increasingly poor human rights record could prove damaging to its image, especially given the company’s obligation to adhere to local laws that may conflict with its core values.
Authored by a journalist from the Financial Times and scheduled for release by Simon & Schuster in May, Apple in China promises to reveal the “untold story” through extensive interviews with company insiders.
For fans of Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs and Chris Miller’s Chip War, this book offers a thrilling exploration of how Apple played a key role in establishing China’s supremacy in electronics assembly and manufacturing, only to find itself ensnared in a relationship with an authoritarian country demanding increasing concessions.
More than just a brand, Apple stands as the world’s most valuable company and creator of one of the most transformative products of the 21st century. The iPhone has changed our daily lives, but Apple now faces the repercussions of its success, caught in the turmoil of a new Cold War between global superpowers.
On the edge of bankruptcy in 1996, Apple adopted a new strategy focused on outsourcing its manufacturing. After trials across eight nations, it relocated the majority of its operations to China, lured by cheap and plentiful labor. As the iPod and iPhone reshaped Apple’s financial landscape, the intricate production systems gave rise to a skilled Chinese manufacturing sector—skills now being leveraged against Western interests.
Apple in China unfurls a sometimes unsettling yet consistently revealing narrative of how a once bold company that championed ‘rebels’ and ‘troublemakers’—the same company that urged us to ‘Think Different’—has devolved into a compliant collaborator with a regime that increasingly dictates its future.
Advanced copies of the book have been circulated to numerous bestselling business authors, who have expressed admiration.
“An extraordinary story, expertly told”
Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford and bestselling author of Silk Roads
“To label this a page-turner would be to undermine its significance. It’s a once-in-a-generation read.”
Robert D. Kaplan, author of the New York Times bestseller The Revenge of Geography
“Thoroughly researched, unsettling, and enlightening.”
Chris Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Chip War
“McGee illustrates how Apple’s pursuit of wealth and influence in China may ultimately jeopardize both the company and America’s technological leadership.”
Rana Foroohar, author of Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business
“A masterfully reported account of how Apple gained a foothold in China yet lost its ethical compass.”
Isaac Stone Fish, author of America Second
“Every iPhone user will want to delve into this book, but no Apple employee will dare be seen with it.”
Geoffrey Cain, author of Samsung Rising and The Perfect Police State
Apple in China will be available for purchase starting May 13 and can be pre-ordered now.
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