Apple’s Tim Cook meets China’s commerce minister, the second regulator he met this week

Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao welcomed Apple to get more “deeply involved” in China, while Cook reiterated Apple’s commitment to the market

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Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during the company’s “It’s Glowtime” event in Cupertino, California, on September 9, 2024. Photo: TNS

Published: 6:00pm, 25 Oct 2024

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with the Chinese minister of commerce on Friday during his second visit to mainland China this year, as the US tech giant pledged to boost its investment in the country.

Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said in his meeting with Cook that the country “welcomes Apple to seize the opportunity and get more deeply involved in the China market”, according to a statement by the ministry on Friday. “Mutually beneficial” economic cooperation between China and the US is good for both countries, he added, and overplaying the national security issue will “not be conducive to normal economic and trade exchanges”.

Cook called China “an important market and a key supply chain partner to Apple” during the meeting, according to the statement, adding that the iPhone maker will continue to invest in Chinese supply chains. Apple will also continue to be “a bridge” between China and the US in areas related to the economy and trade, Cook was quoted as saying.

People line up outside an Apple store on a rainy day in Beijing as the new iPhone 16 series smartphones go on sale on September 20. Photo: Reuters

The executive is reiterating Apple’s commitment to China at a time when it faces increasing competition from local smartphone makers such as Huawei Technologies in one of its most important markets. The local roll out of its highly anticipated artificial intelligence (AI) service faces uncertainty, as it requires regulatory approval.

His meeting with the commerce minister came two days after his conversation with the head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, when that regulator made similar comments about opportunities for foreign firms in China. The ministry’s announcement of the meeting did not provide any information on the availability of Apple Intelligence in the country.

Apple Intelligence, a bundle of generative AI (GenAI) services, is slated to launch soon in certain countries but not China, where a permit is required from Beijing for any public release of such software. As of August, China has approved a total of 188 GenAI services for Chinese users, all of which are developed by local firms.

The company has marketed its Apple Intelligence feature as one of the primary selling points of the latest iPhones. The September launch of iPhone 16 returned Apple to the No 2 spot in China’s smartphone market in the third quarter, after it had fallen out of the top five in the previous three months, according to the latest data from research firm IDC on Friday.