An impressive read from the NY Times on China’s long-ball strategy for manufacturing investments, specifically in and around Zhengzhou aka ‘iPhone City.’

A vast, boxy customs center 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.

The state-of-the-art facility was built several years ago to serve a single global exporter: Apple, now the world’s most valuable company and one of China’s largest retailers.

Read more.