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Not everything is transparent. Apple's catalog of suppliers doesn't include all the companies that manufacture components for the main suppliers. And even though Apple acknowledged in its annual progress report that violations occurred in its supply chain, the company did not specify which manufacturers were guilty of those misdeeds. In May the Hong Kong--based labor watchdog Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) issued a report alleging that abuses like long hours and reliance on forced internships continued at Foxconn factories making Apple products. (In monthly updates, Apple now tracks working hours in China and says compliance has increased to around 90%.) "The kind of people who like Apple products tend to think of themselves as socially responsible," says Debby Chan, SACOM's project officer, "but their favorite company is failing them."
Apple declined to talk to TIME on the record about the specifics of its China operations. But as the world's leading electronics brand, Apple will set a precedent with its conduct in China for other foreign firms and even local manufacturers who need a business model to follow. "Foreign-invested companies have made great contributions to China's economic development," said Labor Minister Yin Weimin in March. "Of course, we have also noticed that problems exist at some companies, for example excessive overtime, too-low pay for some workers and a lack of concern for people." As a global arbiter of cool, Apple may have a greater responsibility to bear. "Because Apple is so big and respected, if the company were to set the bar high in China, hundreds of other companies would follow in their path," says Ma Jun, a respected local environmentalist.
A Chinese Dream
As dusk falls, the exodus begins. Thousands of workers have just finished their shift at Foxconn's Chengdu plant. Though they have spent at least eight hours on the job, an energetic thrum courses through the waves of laborers emerging from the gates. As they skip toward the bus that will take them to their cramped dormitories, gaggles of young women link arms and apply lipstick. Others tap messages into cell phones, arranging dinner dates or karaoke sessions. I spot a fair number of Foxconn couples. Given the hours they work, it's almost impossible for them to meet anyone outside the factory.