Apple products will be soon made in the Philippines, as China is expected to transfer over 8,000 jobs to the country as a start. This is after Apple, Inc. reportedly pressured Foxconn Technology Group, the company’s major manufacturer, to transfer one of its manufacturing plants to another Asian country. In a short press conference led by Apple CEO Tim Cook this Monday, he said both companies have chosen the Philippines to be new manufacturer of some vital components of their iPads and iPhones for various reasons. Mr. Cook mentioned Filipinos as very hardworking and can speak English fluently. “We received tons of positive feedback about Filipinos working in factories in the Philippines and abroad. We are very confident that they can produce high quality products for Apple.” Tim Cook told reporters, noting that they are now in talks with the Philippine government and industrial estate developers http://tahonews.com/philippines-to-manufacture-apple-products-transfer-from-china/
Apple is extremely cash rich as a company, so the simple fact of dishing out brown envelopes won't affect them at all, but for some reason, I can see this ending in tears. I am not too sure Foxconn and ipso facto the Chinese Government will like being pressurized like that.. Time will tell.
You don't think it will go ahead then Dom? I mean all being well it would be a good thing for the country.
It would be a marvellous thing if it does happen. I think that Apple ain't pushovers and neither is the Chinese Gov....... Loosing 8000 jobs to the Philippines is not going to be accepted in any way, shape or form, especially with all what is going on in the South China sea, spratlys, etc, etc.... Apple will soon realize that moving to Pinas will be a huge mistake on their part, no reflection on the pinoy workers, due all to the simple fact that they will not want to pay bribes to oil the bureocratic workings, to several levels of government officials, local or otherwise. Your Apple product won't necessarily become any cheaper with the move.
Foxconn employ over 200,000 people on just one site in China. I suspect that 8,000 jobs are a drop in the ocean, for them. I must confess that I am not "up to speed" with how well Taiwanese businesses have operated in the Philippines in the past, however I will point out that the dialect of Chinese widely spoken in the Philippines, Hokkien, is the dialect that is most widely spoken in Taiwan. President Aquino addressed the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines in fluent Hokkien a year or so ago. I don't think brown envelopes will be any sort of a problem for a business that operates in China. My guess is that this will go smoothly.
Good to point out the distinction between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and 'The People's Republic of China', at least Taiwan is not trying to start a war in the South China Sea.
Actually, the origins of the claim to the South China Sea* go back to the KMT Government of China, and Taiwan does make the same territorial claims as the PRC, indeed there was a nasty incident a year or so ago when a Taiwanese fisherman was shot and killed by the Philippines Coast Guard - this led to Taiwan threatening to cancel visas for Filipino OCWs in Taiwan (about 40,000 of them) but the spat seems to have blown over. I don't suppose that Foxconn give a damn about it, though. *Be warned - I can bore for Britain on this subject!
Whilst I appreciate that a moving some of the work to the Philippines would be economically sound and advantageous, for some the natives, I am very suspicious of Apple's real motives for demanding that. Let's face it, Apple are not a haven of generosity towards fellow man...
Agreed on that. My personal dislike of the company comes from the image it fundamentally projects to the outside world and the intrinsic design view which is 'Form over Function', long story and discussion maybe for another thread.
Agreed Andrew, but Taiwan isn't actively pursuing her claim. Unlike the PRC which has now built a large airport in the Spratleys.
I completely agree. But the problem is that this will be another project that will, if not handed to Manila, will be grabbed by Manila due to its prestigious value. As far as the MMDA is concerned, the Philippines begins and ends with Metro Manila.
Thanks, I was aware of this, and the failure of Foxconn in dealing with the root causes of so many sudden deaths.
