Your theory is not supported by reality though. Apple's Chinese iCloud operations are now run by a government owned company (GCBD). Apple simply handed over the

Your theory is not supported by reality though. Apple's Chinese iCloud operations are now run by a government owned company (GCBD). Apple simply handed over the keys to them in order to "improve iCloud services in China and comply with Chinese regulations" (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208351 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208351). From the terms of service: "You understand and agree that Apple and GCBD will have access to all data that you store on this service" https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/icloud/en/gcbd-terms.html https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/icloud/en/gcbd... All major tech companies take the same approach to China: "We comply with local laws and regulations". Everything else is just smoke and mirrors.