[chongli]

No, the population of China is not the issue. The problem for Apple is that so many of their products are still made in China that if they anger the Chinese government they risk having their factories closed, leaving them with no products to sell. To say this would be disastrous for sales would be an understatement.

[llm_nerd]

The last thing China is going to do is close manufacturing plants.

Apple makes 10x more selling in the Chinese market than they do in the United Kingdom, even with all of the roadblocks and handicaps China erects. Further Apple realizes that as the UK is a Western, democratic nation it is easy to essentially bargain about policies. Apple's current threats are essentially negotiating. There would be no negotiating with China about stuff like this.

[peyton]

Beijing can’t even shut down the factories north of the city that dump particulates into the lungs of the leadership and their families. No way they can shut down some of the big iPhone factories.

[throwaway290]

Are you joking? Even a random middle class flat in Beijing would have at least one OK air filter appliance. Party elites likely have pretty good industrial grade ones everywhere. First thing is shield themselves from the fruits of their policies...