Apple hit a $2T market cap and yet I can’t help but think they’re in an incredibly precarious situation due to the relationship between the US and China. I find the Apple/US/China dynamic much more interesting than what’s going on with TikTok. Right now it feels as if every side wants Apple to succeed. For the US it’s a success story and a cultural export to the world. To China it’s an indicator that they can power the manufacturing, at scale, of one of the most sophisticated technical products in the world and a massive boon to their economy. Yet it only takes a bit of politics to completely disrupt that balance.

The Simpsons has a famous clip where Mr. Burns goes to the doctor only to find that he has so many diseases that they’re all balancing each other out, and thus rendering him “indestructible.” Apple seems to be in that situation and yet the stock market views Apple as the most valuable company in the world. Sure both the US and China benefit from being supportive of Apple but it’s an incredibly dangerous position to be in, especially with the current state of politics.