Apple's Tim Cook signed $275-billion deal to placate China, says report

The agreement was written by Apple's government affairs team in China and stewarded by Tim Cook

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook secretly signed an agreement with Chinese officials, estimated to be worth about $275 billion, to placate threats that would have hobbled its devices and services in the country, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing interviews and internal Apple documents.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

The report revealed Cook personally forged a five-year agreement with the Chinese government during a series of in-person visits to the country in 2016. The need to push for a closer alliance with the Chinese government reportedly came from a number of Apple executives who were concerned about bad