Mike Peterson
Apple CEO Tim Cook is slated to appear at the 2021 China Development Forum, which is being held from March 20 through March 22 in a hybrid virtual and in-person format.
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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Charles Martin
Christine McKee
Oliver Haslam
William Gallagher
7 Comments
He could attend the CDF conference in person and host a virtual March 23 Apple product announcement event without any scheduling problem.
I'd be worried for Tim Cook's safety if he were to ever travel to China. I would not brush aside the possibility of the CCP "detaining" Tim Cook to make a political statement.
I think it might be time to divest from Apple until we see some serious re-investment in United States manufacturing.