Apple is not on China’s first list of 26 registered mobile app shops. China’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC) released the list, which includes local tech giants like Alipay and Lenovo.
However, Apple is not on the list, which is making people wonder about how foreign tech companies can do business in China.
The new CAC rule, which went into effect last year, requires app stores to “register” their businesses and keep an eye on the apps on their sites. This is seen as an attempt to tighten control over the digital landscape, but it also shows a growing trend. China’s apparent goal to push out global tech players and support local alternatives.
This is interesting because the number of apps in China is going down. Recent numbers show that the total number of apps in the country went down by 25%, from 3.5 million in 2020 to just 2.6 million in 2022.
Industry insiders think that Beijing’s growing regulatory net is to blame for this drop, as it seems to be slowing down not only foreign players but also local innovation.
Independent coders in China, who are often inspired by global players like Apple, have voiced their worries.
The new rules make it hard for local developers to release apps quickly, which doesn’t fit with how fast tech progress moves.
China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has said that people who don’t follow the rules between September and March of next year will face “punishments” that haven’t been stated. Even though it’s still not clear what fines could be given, companies that don’t follow the rules seem to be getting less and less welcome.
Apple hasn’t said anything about this yet, but the fact that it’s not on China’s official list could be a sign of how hard it is for global tech companies to navigate China’s digital world, which is getting more complicated and restricted.
For both companies and consumers, this shows that in China’s growing digital economy, following Beijing’s rules is not just encouraged, it’s required.
