Large company signs agreement with key country, gets things in return. This could be the way to summarize the “secret” agreement between Apple and China revealed by The Information. One in which Apple would have committed to investing 275,000 million dollars in the Asian country in five years (55,000 million dollars annually).
The scandal here it comes from some have interpreted the agreement as a simple disbursement of money to the Chinese government. A kind of bribery to high officials to have permission to operate in the country. The small print, as is often the case in these cases, makes the matter much less conspicuous.
What is the agreement between Apple and China?
The company owes much of its success to CEO Tim Cook, who laid the foundation years ago by secretly signing an agreement, estimated at more than $ 275 billion, with Chinese officials promising that Apple would support the development of the economy and Chinese technology through investments, contracts and employee training.
So that it was not a bribe, but investments to obtain something in return: to be able to manufacture and sell products in the country. For this and according to the article, Apple committed and executed the following:
- Assist in the development of the most advanced manufacturing technology.
- Train high-performance Chinese talent.
- Use components from Chinese companies.
- Sign agreements with Chinese software companies.
- Collaborate in the development of technologies with Chinese universities.
- Invest in Chinese companies, like Didi, where Apple invested $ 1 billion.
Apple’s investments in China benefit the company itself, directly or indirectly
Further, Apple pledged to build more stores in the country. It currently has 50 stores in China, for a total of 504 around the world (271 in the US). It also opened several research centers and made considerable investments in renewable energy.
Apple’s agreements with other countries
For a company to decide to enter into a relationship with a government of a country important to it is common. Own Apple has signed agreements with other governments, promising investments, changes and work. He did it with Trump himself, when his administration asked American companies to manufacture in the country and not choose to take the factories abroad. Apple agreed to make the Mac Pro in the US. In return, Trump avoided having Apple products face tariffs in its trade war with China.
Other countries such as India have also received special attention from Apple. The Asian country requires that companies that wish to operate in the country, manufacture part of their products within their borders. Apple has agreed with Pegatron to manufacture various iPad and iPhone models. And thanks to that, he opened several official stores. The deal took years to forge, but it paid off: It allowed Apple to double its sales in India in Q4 2020.
Despite the importance of China as a market and manufacturing center, in Cupertino they know that it is appropriate not having the eggs in the same basket. So they asked Foxconn to move part of their MacBook and iPad production to Vietnam. Something that will undoubtedly be taken into account by the authorities.
The dilemma of dealing with a dictatorial government
It is demonstrated that the agreement with China is not exceptional. It is a key country, both for its operations and for the size of the market. And it is logical that a company is interested, signing agreements with its leaders. The problem lies with the Chinese government and its dictatorial regime. It is a country where human rights are not respected and those who defend them are persecuted.
A look at Human Rights Watch’s 2021 report highlights the considerable violations of these rights to its citizens. There is no political, press, speech, religious or sexual freedom. In the case of the Uyghurs, China has been accused of crimes against humanity. Their detention in “re-education” camps, use as forced labor, torture and forced sterilization are common accusations to the Chinese government.
What should a company like Apple do, that boasts of defending freedom and creativity of your products? Here’s a dilemma:
- Operate and sell in the country, which leads to an inevitable collaboration with the authorities and compliance with national laws, with the hope of being able to positively influence the country little by little.
- Close its shops, factories and abandon its customers and users to their fate as a sign of protest, renouncing any positive influence.
Apple has opted for the former, not just because it makes more business sense. But because is the only option in the dilemma that provides a long-term path to influence the country. If you chose to shut down and leave the country, there would be quite a stir for a few days, maybe weeks. Then silence would follow (and a zero on the income statement).
If Apple had chosen that position during the Trump administration, I would have fought uphill on issues other than economic ones. I would not have had so much weight when it came to defending the rights of dreamers, for example. The result would not have been very smart, because the US, due to its political system, can undergo changes quickly and in just a few years, but what about China?
Decades can pass until significant progress is made in terms of human rights. And this is where the big question lies. Is it worth the wait?