
“Surely the apple is the noblest of fruits,” claimed the 19th century American essayist Henry David Thoreau. Can the same be said of its modern namesake, the world’s best known electronics brand, Apple Inc?
Not according to tech news website The Information, which published an investigation recently into seven Chinese companies in Apple’s supply chain suspected of using forced labour.
It’s not the first time that Apple has been asked to address this issue (it dropped camera module supplier O-Film late last year after similar reports). But the most recent allegations come at a time when its supply chain is under scrutiny on two further fronts.
Firstly, in early June the Nasdaq-listed giant published a list of its top 200 suppliers for the first time in more than two years. And the compilation suggested that far from broadening its engagement with partners to a fuller range of firms from countries other than China – as Apple said it would start doing in 2019 – it has deepened its relationship with companies there. The latest list includes 12 new mainland Chinese entities. This brings the total to 51 (if Hong Kong is included), surpassing the number of suppliers headquartered in Taiwan for the first time (numbering 48).
Read More at https://www.weekinchina.com/2021/06/partners-in-profit/
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