Advertisement
Apple operating chief Jeff Williams makes rare Taiwan visit to attend gala of iPhone maker Foxconn
- Williams was a guest of honour at a gala celebrating the 50th anniversary of Foxconn, also attended by the CEOs of SoftBank and Arm
- Foreign executives often opt for low-key visits to Taiwan to avoid a reaction from Beijing, with Apple CEO Tim Cook mostly avoiding the island
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
4
Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams is on a rare visit to Taiwan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Foxconn Technology Group, the company that helped build the iPhone empire by assembling those devices to exacting standards in factories across mainland China.
Advertisement
In Taipei on Tuesday night, Williams was joined by Apple’s senior vice-president of operations, Sabih Khan, as a guest of honour at a gala celebration. Also present were SoftBank Group chief executive officer Masayoshi Son and Arm Holdings boss Rene Haas, according a statement on Wednesday by Foxconn.
It was an uncommon trip for Williams, whose last public appearance in Taiwan was in 2017 for the 30th anniversary celebration of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Apple's primary chips supplier.
The occasion was also a rare moment for Taiwan to host so many leaders from the global tech industry at a single event. Foreign executives often opt for low-key visits to Taiwan so as to avoid a reaction from mainland China, which claims the island as part of its territory.
Williams is among Apple’s most senior executives under CEO Tim Cook, who has not visited Taiwan in an official capacity in more than a decade of leading the company.
Advertisement
Cook makes regular trips to mainland China, which hosts Apple’s key production base and is one of the firm’s largest markets. But he has mostly avoided Taiwan, and he last made a public appearance on the island in 2008 for Foxconn founder Terry Gou Tai-ming's wedding.
Advertisement