Just days after Apple slashed App Store commissions in China from 30% to 25%, Beijing is demanding broader changes. The state-owned People's Daily published an editorial calling Apple's payment and distribution controls 'monopolistic' and urging the company to remove what it described as a 'fence wall' around iOS.

Chinese regulators view Apple's closed ecosystem as a barrier, contrasting it with Android's more open approach. Despite the commission cut following regulatory pressure, officials are now targeting Apple's control over payments and app distribution rather than just fees. Chinese users still cannot access third-party payment systems or external links on iOS.

The dispute signals a shift from negotiating percentages to challenging the fundamental structure of Apple's platform. With China as Apple's second-largest market and local competitors like Huawei operating with more flexible models, regulators are pushing for changes that could reshape how Apple's services business functions in the region.