“Together we will plant a forest”. While traveling in Beijing, Tim Cook did not mention the “symbiotic relationship” between Apple and China, which he was still praising three years ago. But the boss of the apple group used a Chinese proverb to greet a “community of extremely talented developers”, with whom he shares a “vision of progress”. Beyond the agreed speeches, this trip, punctuated in particular by a meeting with the Minister of Commerce, comes at a pivotal moment for Apple, facing increasing pressure from local regulators.
Symbol of this toughening, the Cupertino group announced in mid-March a reduction in commissions collected in China on mobile applications, reduced to 12% and 25%, against 15% and 30% previously, without introducing new fees – unlike other countries where it was forced to lower its fees. In November, he had already found a compromise with Tencent, the parent company of WeChat, officially authorizing payments within mini-apps, which are very popular on the popular Chinese messaging service. To seal this agreement, Apple agreed to reduce its commissions.
“Apple’s closed ecosystem will be dismantled”
In China, the company has long been an exception. Not only does it operate there in almost the same way as elsewhere, unlike other American technological giants, it has also very rarely been worried by the Chinese authorities. This benevolence from Beijing was explained by Apple’s weight in the country, where its subcontractors employ millions of people. The assembly of iPhones in local factories was thus seen as a symbol of the power of Chinese industry, the only one then capable of meeting production needs.
But the situation began to change in the fall of 2023, when several administrations and public companies banned the iPhone. Last year, the threat escalated further with the opening of an investigation by SAMR, the powerful Chinese competition watchdog. This targeted the commissions imposed on mobile application developers, but also the ban on third-party stores and alternative payment systems. “Under pressure, Apple’s closed ecosystem will be dismantled,” now predicts the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of power.
Relocation of production
This change in attitude can first be explained by the growing geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington. At the end of 2022, the United States introduced restrictions on the export of the most advanced chips and the equipment needed to manufacture them to China. These measures have since been reinforced for graphics cards, which have since become crucial with the rise of generative artificial intelligence. In 2025, the Trump administration also imposed new tariffs on imports from the world’s second-largest economy.
Apple is probably also caught up in its strategy of diversifying its production chain. In recent years, the group has relocated some assembly to other Asian countries, particularly India and Vietnam, to reduce its dependence on China. This movement, complex due to the scale of the logistics chain, accelerated significantly last year in anticipation of new customs duties. According to the agency Bloomberga quarter of iPhones were assembled in Indian factories in 2025, a proportion that is expected to continue to grow.
To go further:
– After a compromise with WeChat, Apple allows mini-apps
– Apple commissions in the sights of Chinese authorities