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Apple’s past week was marked by a high-profile China visit for Tim Cook—a market that’s both a goldmine and a battleground for the tech giant. According to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Cook met with Minister Jin Zhuanglong in Beijing, emphasizing Apple’s intent to deepen its footprint in China, ramp up innovation investments, and collaborate with local firms. The message was clear: Apple wants to stay in China’s good graces, even as it watches domestic rivals like Huawei chip away at its smartphone dominance, with Counterpoint data showing iPhone sales in China dipped 2% year over year for the last three weeks, despite a strong debut for the latest models—sales were up 20% for the new devices, but older iPhones took a hit.
Cook’s Beijing trip is his second this year, signaling China’s strategic importance. While there, he wasn’t just in boardrooms—he also popped up on Weibo sharing snaps from an organic farm and a stroll through ancient neighborhoods with local artists, including photographer Chen Man, as Reuters reported. He then jetted to Hangzhou, where, according to his Weibo posts and state media, he praised Zhejiang University’s tech talent and announced a 30 million yuan donation to support student app developers, a move likely designed to cultivate goodwill and future talent in a country where Apple is now playing catch-up against homegrown rivals.
On the diplomacy front, Cook also huddled with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao to talk Apple’s business prospects and U.S.-China trade relations, with both sides underscoring the importance of collaboration, according to ministry statements. The backdrop: speculation about whether Apple can keep its premium shine in a market where Chinese brands are ascendant and where, as of earlier this year, Alibaba is supplying AI tech for iPhones sold in China—a partnership that underscores both the depth and complexity of Apple’s China ties.
Away from the geopolitical and business chessboard, Cook’s social media presence turned personal on the anniversary of Steve Jobs’s death. On X, he called Jobs a visionary who “lit the path forward,” a sentiment echoed widely in tech circles, with Tesla’s Elon Musk boosting the post, according to the Times of India. Cook’s annual tribute is a reminder of the emotional legacy he carries as Apple’s steward, and he’s previously revealed that Jobs’s old office at One Infinite Loop remains untouched—a shrine to the company’s founding DNA, as he told interviewers.
In sum, the past days for Apple have been a mix of strategic posturing in China, savvy cultural engagement, and a nod to its legendary past—all while fending off a growing pack of challengers in the world’s most important smartphone market.
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