One of the dangers of depending on zero-COVID China’s manufacturing sector has been exposed by the lockout of Foxconn’s Zhengzhou facility, the largest maker of iPhones in the world, analysts told AFP.

At its Zhengzhou facility, Foxconn, Apple’s main subcontractor, has noticed an increase in COVID-19 cases, prompting the company to lock down the enormous complex in an effort to contain the virus.

Following reports of bad working conditions at the factory, which employs hundreds of thousands of people, images of terrified employees running away from the scene on foot appeared.

According to Dezan Shira & Associates, a consultancy organisation, experts claim that the corporation’s substantial reliance on China “brings potential hazards, especially as the U.S.-China trade war shows no indications of de-escalating.”