Patrick McGee: The China vs India Conundrum

November 12, 2025

Source: The Great Tech Game with Anirudh Suri

Can Apple Pivot Away from China to India? An Inside Look at the Complexities of Apple’s Choices: In this episode of The Great Tech Game podcast, host Anirudh Suri sits down with Patrick McGee, Financial Times San Francisco correspondent and author of Apple in China, to unpack the deeper story behind one of the most important corporate–state relationships of the 21st century. Through Apple’s journey, McGee explores how Apple became central to the US–China tech rivalry, and how its search for scale and perfection created ripple effects that reshaped global geopolitics, technology, and industry. And now, as the Apple – China relationship has become so convoluted, how Apple is trying to navigate away from China to other countries such as India. This episode tackles questions such as:

Why is Apple’s relationship with China so consequential — and what does it reveal about the future of US–China tech competition?
How did Apple’s investments, training programs, and suppliers fuel the rise of Chinese tech giants like Huawei and Xiaomi?
What changed under Xi Jinping, and how did Apple learn to “play politics” in a new era of state power and surveillance?
Can India or Mexico realistically serve as the next major manufacturing hubs as companies seek to decouple from China?
What lessons can Indian states like Tamil Nadu and Telangana learn from Chinese provinces such as Shenzhen?

Tune in for an in-depth conversation on how Apple’s pursuit of efficiency and growth supercharged China’s rise, but how its deep dependence now leaves it with few exits, if at all

Patrick McGee is a compelling keynote speaker, bringing over a decade of global journalism experience from the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal. His award-winning reporting on Apple, electric vehicles, and emerging technologies offers audiences unparalleled insights into the forces shaping our digital future. As the author of Apple in China, he delivers a deeply researched, behind-the-scenes look at how the world’s most valuable company became entwined with America’s biggest rival. With his engaging storytelling and sharp analysis, Patrick McGee provides event attendees with thought-provoking perspectives on technology, business, and global markets. To host him for a speaking engagement, contact WWSG.