Apple CEO Tim Cook Meets with Chinese Minister of Industry

By Casey Hall, Joe Cash

BEIJING (Reuters) – Apple CEO Tim Cook met with China's Minister for Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong, during his visit to Beijing this week, according to a ministry statement.

During the meeting, Jin expressed his hope that Apple would continue to strengthen its presence in China, increase investment in innovation, collaborate with Chinese companies, and share the benefits of high-quality development.

Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This marks Cook's second visit to China this year. His posts on Weibo, a social media platform similar to X, indicated that he visited an organic farm and explored ancient neighborhoods alongside local artists, including photographer Chen Man.

China is the largest smartphone market globally, where Apple has recently been losing market share to domestic competitors. Apple launched sales of its latest smartphones in China on September 20, coinciding with the release of a new phone by local competitor Huawei. The new iPhones saw a 20% increase in sales during the first three weeks after launch compared to the same period last year, according to Counterpoint data.

However, overall iPhone sales in China fell by 2% year-on-year during this three-week period, attributed to declining sales of older models and intensified competition from Huawei's Mate and Pura series, as reported by Counterpoint.