Apple has asked its largest suppliers to consider the costs of shifting 15% to 30% of its output from China to south-east Asia in a dramatic shake-up of its production chain, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper has reported.

Apple and its Asian contract manufacturers are hitting back at Qualcomm with legal claims that try to undermine the chipmaker’s attempt to force them to pay licensing fees.

Qualcomm has filed a complaint against Foxconn Technology and three other Apple contract manufacturers for not paying royalties, firing the latest salvo in its fight with the iPhone maker.

For investors in Taiwan’s $841bn (€745.5bn) stock market, Tim Cook matters more than president Tsai Ing-wen.