In brief: A new report claims that Apple tree CEO Tim Cook signed a secret 5-year deal worth $275 billion with Chinese officials that would come across Cupertino invest in the country's economic and technological development. In exchange, Apple'south operations and services wouldn't face the same extensive regulatory scrutiny Chinese agencies often heap on strange companies.

The Information reports that Cook personally signed the deal in 2022 during his visits to China. Information technology's claimed that interviews and internal Apple documents show he "personally lobbied officials" over threats of regulatory activity against Apple Pay, iCloud, and the App Shop.

Cook signed a "memorandum of agreement" with Mainland china's National Development and Reform Commission that involved Apple making concessions in exchange for legal exemptions.

Apple's promise included helping Chinese manufacturers develop avant-garde manufacturing technologies and support with training of Chinese talents, using more Chinese-sourced components in its devices, signing deals with the country's software firms, and investing direct in Chinese companies. Additionally, some of the billions of dollars Apple put into the country would go toward retail stores, research and evolution centers, and renewable energy projects.

One of the means Apple tree has allegedly benefitted from the deal is its power to hold onto the encryption keys for iCloud user data in the region. The Chinese government usually forces foreign companies to hand over responsibleness for such information to local organizations.

Apple tree has found more than success in Prc than most US firms; information technology saw an annual sales growth of 83% in the country during the fiscal fourth quarter. But then the iPhone maker has a history of kowtowing to the Chinese authorities, having previously removed thousands of games, apps, and VPNs from its App Store at the behest of local officials. It also purged a protest app and the Quartz news app during the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests.