SHANGHAI -- Tied by its manufacturing relationship and mass criticism of its worker relations, Apple and Foxconn will jointly underwrite the costs to improve labor conditions at Foxconn's China plants.

Foxconn chairman Terry Gou made the remarks during a ground-breaking ceremony for its new headquarters here. No dollar figure was provided, but the public relations spin was evident:

"We've discovered that this (improving factory conditions) is not a cost. It is a competitive strength," Gou reportedly said, according to Reuters. "I believe Apple sees this as a competitive strength along with us, and so we will split the initial costs."

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