Malcolm Owen
Apple will continue to make more investments in China, CEO Tim Cook has insisted, as part of his meeting with China's top technology official.
Tim Cook is on his second trip to China in 2024, accompanied by COO Jeff Williams, as the duo makes deals and visits important partners in the country. In the latest installment of the current trip, Cook has spent some time with the Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong.
A ministry post to WeChat picked up by Bloomberg states that Apple will "continue to grow its investments in China and help the high-quality development of the supply chain." Jin is said to have urged to Cook that Apple needs to keep up investing in innovation in the country.
This investment has recently included Apple's building of a new research lab in Shenzhen. A dedicated research and development facility dealing with material analysis that allegedly cost over 1 billion yuan ($138 million) to create.
The urge to continue investment may also be due to Apple's gradual shift towards a more globally spread out supply chain, rather than the China-centric approach it currently employs.
The pair also discussed other related topics, including Apple's presence in the territory, cloud services, and securely managing online data.
Wednesday's meeting follows after an already busy itinerary for the CEO. It has included meetings about the use of Apple products to promote sustainable farming.
There has also been an announcement in support of a national parks initiative, and meetings with game developers, a photographer, and a musician.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
4 Comments
Just say no, Apple.
Is Apple entirely bereft of a moral compass?
We need Trump to get Apple under control.
Engaging China this way is a positive thing. Xi can't live forever and they may pivot towards a more open society when he's gone. It's better to be part of the solution and change people's minds on the ground but it's also smart to hedge their bets by diversifying their supply chain outside China.