> Why is this ethical responsibility somehow always offloaded to the consumer?

Because without consumer, there would be no incentive for either China and Apple to behave amorally.

China is a totalitarian dictatorship. As long as it's citizens don't rebel, they have no incentive to change their behavior. Apple is a publicly traded company. They need good publicity.

So, as a humanist, I say it's up to the consumers to force Apple to stop contributing to human rights abuses.