Report: Apple's India Manufacturing Dream in Jeopardy Over Exodus of Chinese Workers

[szw-mapple fan]

The government, and the citizens, of Taiwan, do not recognize themselves as part of China, hence the constant threat of invasion by China and their annoyance at the US for sending Taiwan arms and defense weapons.

You may want to reeducate yourself on that. The government officially considers itself Republic of China, just not PRC China. The ROC still claims all of mainland China (including modern day Mongolia) but only administers the province of Taiwan. Some citizens may no longer consider themselves Chinese but the government in Taiwan hasn't declared the island as its own national entity. The official political position on both sides of the strait is that the civil war for the entirety of China is still ongoing but a frozen conflict. In fact, the ROC government continued to appoint (largely symbolic) governors to all the Chinese provinces up until the 90s and the position of the governor of Fujian Province exists to this day due to their presence in Kinmen and Matsu.

 

[Baritone_Guy]

Okay, so China doesn’t want the brain drain and knowledge transfer.

Not like India lacks the talent to make it happen. Plenty of brilliant minds in India, just have to pay them what they’re worth to attract them (at least until the dust has settled)—and Apple can afford it.

Sure, India is not a communist/socialist/one-party country and not as disciplined as China, so the ramp-up will take a while.

Apple need not assemble all of its devices/iPhones in one country. Apple can surely assemble some iPhones closer to the U.S. for American customers and absorb/offset the additional costs—Apple can afford that. Shareholders won’t like it, but it’s the right thing to do.

Ignore me. I need to read things more closely.

 

[JapanApple]

You may want to reeducate yourself on that. The government officially considers itself Republic of China, just not PRC China. The ROC still claims all of mainland China (including modern day Mongolia) but only administers the province of Taiwan. Some citizens may no longer consider themselves Chinese but the government in Taiwan hasn't declared the island as its own national entity. The official political position on both sides of the strait is that the civil war for the entirety of China is still ongoing but a frozen conflict. In fact, the ROC government continued to appoint (largely symbolic) governors to all the Chinese provinces up until the 90s and the position of the governor of Fujian Province exists to this day due to their presence in Kinmen and Matsu.

Well, you generalized that Taiwanese consider themself Chinese from the mainland? That is not altogether correct. Taiwan does not fully recognize the ROC symbol. Some of your facts are old and outdated. Others are just there. The only real trust here is that China is at war most of the time with Taiwan.

 

[frownface]

India has been assembling iphones for many years now; why do they still need chinese supervisors to hand hold them?

After half a decade; you'd think they'd be self sufficient?

Edit: A cursory google says they started producing iphones in india in 2017. So 8 years already. Close to a decade; surely by now there'd be a lot of local expertise that'd be able to train and supervise others. If the reason is because they keep turning over staff; then maybe they should do better to keep them; maybe provide better working conditions or pay. But that probably conflicts in their goal of keeping those margins high as possible.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Well, you generalized that Taiwanese consider themself Chinese from the mainland? That is not altogether correct. Taiwan does not fully recognize the ROC symbol. Some of your facts are old and outdated. Others are just there. The only real trust here is that China is at war most of the time with Taiwan.

No, I said that the official Taiwanese government position still considers themselves the ROC and has not denounced their claims to the pre-civil war ROC. In fact, even the Taiwanese passport still says ROC on its cover (albeit only in Chinese now in the latest version). Like I said before I’m well aware that a lot of Taiwanese people don’t consider themselves Chinese anymore, but my point is that in official discourse Taiwan still considers itself part of the ROC despite how pro-independence the current ruling party is and the opinions of Taiwanese people.

 

[JapanApple]

Taiwan still considers itself part of the ROC despite how pro-independence the current ruling party is and the opinions of Taiwanese people.

No, they don't. What are these propaganda views? You have the right to say your views. I live in Japan. I hear and see many different than what you're explaining. It's good to see other people views like yours.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

No, they don't. What are these propaganda views? You have the right to say your views. I live in Japan. I hear and see many different than what you're explaining. It's good to see other people views like yours.

How are these propaganda views, when it’s still clearly defined its own constitution? These claims are largely symbolic since the 1991 amendments when the ROC abandoned administrative claims over the mainland, but the existence of the territorial claims in the legal sense is not a matter of opinion.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

India has been assembling iphones for many years now; why do they still need chinese supervisors to hand hold them?

After half a decade; you'd think they'd be self sufficient?

Edit: A cursory google says they started producing iphones in india in 2017. So 8 years already. Close to a decade; surely by now there'd be a lot of local expertise that'd be able to train and supervise others. If the reason is because they keep turning over staff; then maybe they should do better to keep them; maybe provide better working conditions or pay. But that probably conflicts in their goal of keeping those margins high as possible.

It’s likely that a lot of the machinery and parts come from China and since each new iPhone model involves new tooling/manufacturing processes it’s likely that there is a need for this kind of training since India is realistically still only handling the final hand assembly at this point.

 

[JapanApple]

I really don’t understand the way around, so please calm down.

 

[lkrupp]

USA skill transfer to China ✅
China skill transfer to India 🚫

Well played China well played...

Correct! I’m reading a new book published titled "Apple in China” which documents exactly how Apple trained China to mass manufacture iPhones. Apple sent hundred of engineers over to educate and train Chinese engineers how to set up the factories, design the machines, set up supply chains. Of course China then used that knowledge to expand to other markets besides iPhones. The book shows how Apple’s current predicament is of their own making.

 

[frownface]

It’s likely that a lot of the machinery and parts come from China and since each new iPhone model involves new tooling/manufacturing processes it’s likely that there is a need for this kind of training since India is realistically still only handling the final hand assembly at this point.

New tooling maybe, but i would highly doubt they'd need new machinery each year for each line of iphone. It's not like they're going from making ceramic mugs one year to making wooden chairs the next that need completely different manufacturing tools and processes.

I've watched enough teardown videos over the years to realise that not much really has changed internally for a long time; some things get moved around, some new components get added or removed, or a new adhesive process, sure but it's not ground breaking stuff that suddeny means a person with 5 years of phone assembly experience is suddenly unable to put together the next phone.

There'd be some new work instructions and some new training for each model, sure. But that's no different than for any other factory; including those in china. So why do the indians need to be supervised? are they incapable of doing it correctly? Is it a matter of education? are workers in the chinese factories more highly educated, while the ones in the indian factories are illiterate and came from working on farms? i don't quite get it.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Why even bother?

Dear Leader has spoken once more, Timothy.

 

[trusso]

Why even bother?

Dear Leader has spoken once more, Timothy.

View attachment 2526166

😔

 

[Speed38]

Don't you just love it. After stealing the USA and Europe blind, technology-wise, China says no way that India is going to pull that crap on us and so pull out their engineers.

I should have mentioned that if anyone has more than a passing interest in Apple, then Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company by Patrick McGee is really and truly a most interesting read about how Apple got themselves so deeply tied into the Chinese manufacturing system.