China Plays Chess With Apple
Lurking Beneath the Surface at Apple, Part 2
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If you missed my Part 1 of my “Lurking Beneath the Surface at Apple,” you can read it here.
The latest…
A few days later, with Trump slapping Tariffs on China, Bloomberg had its own story headlined, “China Weighs Probe Into Apple’s App Store Fees, Practices.” It started…
China’s antitrust watchdog is laying the groundwork for a potential probe into Apple Inc.’s policies and the fees it charges app developers, part of a broader push by Beijing that risks becoming another flashpoint in the country’s trade war with the US.
The State Administration for Market Regulation is examining Apple’s policies, which include taking a cut of as much as 30% on in-app spending and barring external payment services and stores, people familiar with the matter said. Agency officials have spoken with Apple executives and app developers since last year, said the people, who asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive moves.
Given the timing – of all the possible chess moves, this was arguably a brilliant opening by China, which generates 14.9% of Apples revs.
What’s really going on with China and Apple AAPL 0.00%↑? Obviously it’s impossible to know, but here’s are a few thoughts…