From Steve Jobs’s design obsession to Cold War-like entanglements in China, Apple’s supply chain story is as much geopolitical as it is operational. In this episode of The Morning Brief, hosts Anirban Chowdhury and Dia Rekhi speak with Financial Times’ lead Apple reporter, journalist and author Patrick McGee, whose new book explores how Apple’s reliance on China helped build both the iPhone and China’s manufacturing dominance. From Foxconn’s factory cities to Tim Cook’s “Uber of manufacturing” model, the conversation traces how Apple’s pursuit of speed and scale created strategic dependence.

As trade tensions escalate and India eyes its own role, Patrick unpacks why China’s ecosystem is still unmatched and whether democratic countries can replicate its efficiency without compromising core values. In a world of fragile ties and rising tariffs, the episode asks can the company pivot from China without dismantling the very machine it built.

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Patrick McGee on the Apple-China Toxic Nexus and Where India Stands

The Morning Brief

Patrick McGee on the Apple-China Toxic Nexus and Where India Stands