Apple's big bet on China is also a bet on driverless cars

Apple's unprecedented decision to throw 1 billion into a Chinese ride-hailing firm last week may seem like a head-scratcher. And why not invest that money here in the United States? But this move was no accident. Not only is it a sign of Apple's growing interest in transportation -- a rapidly changing industry, thanks to groundbreaking technologies such as automation -- but it is also a bet on a country that wants to zip past the United States in the development of the cars of the future. China has moved with surprising speed to prepare for the next generation of automotive technology.