Tim Cook has again spoken at the China Development Forum in Beijing, praising Chinese developers, but not quite getting the same praise back.

Cook was in China in part for the concert celebrating Apple's 50th anniversary, but he also returned to the annual China Development Forum. He's previously been one of the few American CEOs to attend, and as spotted by Bloomberg, he once more used his speech to talk positively about Apple's relationship with China.

"Innovation, green development and education are not separate properties, they are deeply connected," Cook said during his speech. "They represent the vision of progress that we at Apple share, and we are committed to collaborating with our partners across China and with all of you to make that vision a reality."

Cook spoke of how innovation is transforming China's manufacturing, and how app development is increasing prosperity across the country. He singled out the "excellently talented developer community" in China, and how it was producing apps for the iPhone.

"There is a Chinese proverb I love," he concluded. "'A single tree does not make a forest.' Together, I believe we can plant that forest."

China's muted response

Not all of the speeches at the China Development Forum have been reported yet, but an extract from Chinese Premier Li Qiang's speech suggests that the country did not fully return Cook's praise. Instead, Li chose to mention just that Apple is one company that has a diversified supply chain, and China must work to keep its previous role in the world.

"If we politicize industrial issues and deliberately weaponize the supply chain, we will only increase costs for various companies and weaken development momentum," said Li. "China is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with all parties to jointly maintain the stability and security of the global supply chain."

Apple and China

Li's reference to Apple diversification is an acknowledgement of just how much the company has been pulling away from China. Apple may never be able to completely leave the country, but faced with both US pressure and the risks of over-reliance on a single source, it has spent years diversifying its manufacturing.

The reliance on China was particularly tested during COVID and the first years after it. The country's extreme lockdown protocols disrupted manufacturing, and the country continues to face power shortages that means factories can have to shut down.

By 2024, it was estimated that Apple's suppliers had collectively spent $16 billion simply on moving what they could away from China. Countries such as Vietnam and especially India have benefited.

Apple may be praising its Chinese developers, but at the same time China has been escalating its pressures on the company's App Store. In March 2026, Apple cut its regular app commission from 30% to 25% to appease Chinese regulators, for instance.

But then immediately after getting that concession, China pressed for more. The country's officials want Apple to release control of iOS and become more open like Android.

Neither Cook nor Li appear to have commented on this issue at the China Development Forum.