Apple CEO Tim Cook met with China’s Minister for Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong, on Wednesday during his visit to Beijing this week, according to a statement from the ministry.
During their discussion, Jin expressed his desire for Apple to strengthen its presence in China, boost investment in innovation, partner with Chinese companies, and share the benefits of high-quality development, as indicated in the statement.
Apple has not yet provided a response to an emailed request for comment.
This trip marks Tim Cook’s second visit to China this year. His updates on the Weibo social media platform, similar to X, indicated that he visited an organic farm and explored ancient neighborhoods with local artists, including photographer Chen Man.
China is the world’s largest smartphone market, where Apple has been losing market share to domestic competitors in recent quarters.
Apple began selling its latest smartphones in China on September 20, the same day local leader Huawei launched a competing handset. The new iPhones experienced a strong debut, with sales rising 20% in the first three weeks after launch compared to the previous year’s model, according to data from researcher Counterpoint.
However, total iPhone sales in China declined by 2% year-on-year during that three-week period, due to falling sales of older models and increased competition from Huawei’s Mate and Pura series, Counterpoint reported.
