How China lured Apple to make its iPhone in Zhengzhou

A vast, boxy customs centre acts as a busy island of commerce deep in central China.

Government officers, in sharply pressed uniforms, race around a maze of wooden pallets piled high with boxes — counting, weighing, scanning and approving shipments. Unmarked trucks stretch for more than a mile awaiting the next load headed for Beijing, New York, London and dozens of other destinations.