Apple CEO Tim Cook attending annual China Development Forum on March 20

Credit: CDF

Cook will be among more than 100 high-profile executives attending the conference. According to Chinese state-run media outlet Global Times, the 2021 CDF will see the largest foreign attendance yet.

It isn't clear whether Cook will attend the conference in person or in a virtual fashion. In-person elements are being held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. The 2021 conference is being co-chaired by Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG.

The CDF is an annual gathering and conference organized by China's State Council Development Research Center. Its goal is to gather foreign executives to discuss the economic future and roadmap of both China and the world at large.

The 2021 forum is centered on the theme of "China on a New Journey Toward Modernization." Global Times reports that the event will mark the 14th "five-year plan" for China and will see the country "embark on a new journey to fully build a modern socialist country and realize the second centenary goal."

This isn't the first time that Cook has attended the CDF. In 2018, the Apple chief executive served as a co-chair for the conference. He also attended the CDF in 2019.

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