Tim Cook at CEO Summit in China to Talk Supply Chain, Trade Issues

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday made his third visit to China this year, ahead of a five-day supply chain conference with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other corporate leaders (via Bloomberg).

tim cook visits china nov 2024
The Apple chief joined more than 20 global business leaders in meetings with Premier Li Qiang, including executives from Rio Tinto, Corning, and Charoen Pokphand Group. Chinese corporate leaders from Lenovo Group and ICBC were also present at the discussions, which focused on supply chain and trade matters.

Cook was seen at the China International Supply Chain Expo, where he was keen to highlight the critical role of Chinese partners in Apple's operations. "I value them very highly. We could not do what we do without them," he remarked in comments shared by Chinese state media. "I am proud to be here... that Apple has an exhibit here with our partners," added Cook during his first visit to the expo.

Cook's visit comes at a sensitive time for Apple, with companies worldwide bracing for potential trade disruptions following Donald Trump's U.S. election victory. Trump has threatened to hike tariffs on Chinese goods, while China remains Apple's largest market outside the United States. Apple has around 200 major suppliers, with more than 80% producing products in China. The company also produces the majority of its iPhones there through manufacturing partner Foxconn.

The timing is particularly significant as Apple works to balance its deep ties to China while gradually diversifying its production chain to other regions like Vietnam and Indonesia. Cook's last visit to Beijing occurred only last month when he pledged Apple's continued investment in the country.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...

Top Rated Comments

MacManiac1 Avatar
8 months ago
Bring jobs to the USA and you don’t have to worry about tariffs.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
8 months ago

Apple is being very smart. It knows China will (obviously) outlast Trump.
I think the Apple, under Tim, would completely drop the US before he dropped China.


Bring jobs to the USA and you don’t have to worry about tariffs.
The US does not a workforce capable of replacing what is currently done in China for Apple.

And for tariffs, they don't have to worry about them, we do. The US consumer will be paying 100% of the cost of the tariffs, directly, at checkout.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
everlast3434 Avatar
8 months ago
Is this the best pic you could get? Lol
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CapitalIdea Avatar
8 months ago

Bring jobs to the USA and you don’t have to worry about tariffs.
The jobs would have been here all this time if you and everyone else hadn’t opted to save a couple of bucks buying the foreign made option at every possible turn for the past 50 years, while also refusing to demand a change to the incentivized offshoring to increase margins for shareholders. Want to know why manufacturing was hollowed out in the US? Look in your closet, at your entertainment center, and then look in the mirror.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BGPL Avatar
8 months ago
Tim, while you're there, can you speak to them about their complete disregard for the environment and their carbon footprint? What about work conditions and suicides? I know you care about this stuff Tim, because you tell people you do. There's no way you're just saying all that and you're just there to push your economic agenda. That can't be.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CharlesShaw Avatar
8 months ago
His schedule and job pressures sure put my week of eating and streaming tv shows into perspective.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)