Apple apparently took a number of unusual steps to streamline its business in China, including spending USD 275 billion.
Reporting from The Information, Monday (12/13/2021), based on internal documents and unnamed sources, Apple was even asked to make changes to the appearance of its digital map regarding the islands contested by China and Japan.
The requests came between 2014 and 2015, for the islands of Senkaku (named after Japan) or Diaoyu (name after China). In the request, China requested an enlarged view of the island on Apple's digital map.
Apple not only complied with the request, even now if the island is via Apple Maps in China, the island looks bigger than the surrounding area.
The report also describes issues with iTunes, iCloud and Apple Pay, which were resolved in a 1,250-word memorandum of understanding signed by Apple CEO Tim Cook when he visited China in 2016.
Cook is said to have come to China on purpose to resolve regulatory issues that continue to occur and have an impact on Apple's business. He signed a five-year agreement in which Apple promised investment, business deals and training, worth up to $275 billion, aimed at keeping their business in China undisturbed.
This report from The Information seems to have really happened, because according to data from Counterpoint Research analysts, in October 2021 Apple finally became the largest mobile phone brand in China, an achievement that Apple had not previously been able to achieve in the past six years.
Apple now has a research and research center in China and has started storing iCloud data belonging to its users in China locally.
Even so, there are still some things that Apple cannot do in China, such as the Private Relay feature (a kind of VPN) which is not available in that country. Also blocking certain applications in the Chinese App Store.