BEIJING, Oct 15 — Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook has said the company will increase investment in China, during a meeting with its Industry Minister in Beijing today, according to an official summary of their exchange.
Many United States (US) companies have become cautious about relations with China as the world's two biggest economies have clashed over trade tariffs and as US President Donald Trump seeks to promote manufacturing domestically rather than elsewhere.
But Cook told China's Li Lecheng that the iPhone maker will keep investing in China, the Chinese ministry said, although the summary gave no details of the size of the projected investment.
Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The tech giant, which has also made investment pledges to Washington, has so far remained relatively unscathed by the trade war between the US and China. Other companies, like Nvidia and Qualcomm, have found themselves targets of Chinese investigations.
Washington has long placed sanctions on Chinese companies such as Huawei.
Balancing act
A Shanghai-based government affairs consultant, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said that US companies are wary of angering a White House that could hurt them at home in the world's biggest consumer market for appearing too pro-China.
At the same time, they are seeking to avoid appearing insincere in Beijing, where they have pledged to be "in China, for China".
In August, Cook presented Trump with a custom US-made plaque mounted on a 24-carat gold stand commemorating Apple's "American Manufacturing Program," after saying it would invest an additional US$100 billion (RM423.2 billion) in domestic manufacturing.
When he visited China in March, Apple announced plans for a new clean energy fund worth CN¥720 million (RM426.8 million).
Meanwhile, Apple, which relies on suppliers and factories in China where most of its iPhones are assembled, has been trying to shift some manufacturing capacity to India.
Yesterday, Apple's chief operating officer Sabih Khan visited Lens Technology, a Chinese glass supplier for Apple, the Changsha-based company said in a statement today.
Lens Technology produces glass covers for Apple products, including the iPhone and Apple Watch, and has been a partner for 19 years.
During the meeting with Cook, Li said that China hopes Apple will continue to expand in the Chinese market and grow alongside Chinese suppliers. He added that the country would continue to foster a good business environment for foreign companies, including Apple.
'Choosing China'
Apple's shipments in China grew 0.6 per cent from a year earlier to 10.8 million units in the third quarter against the backdrop of sluggish demand in China's smartphone market, according to data research firm IDC today.
Boosted by the iPhone 17 series, it was the only brand among China's three biggest vendors to record shipment growth during the period.
As part of his visit to China this week, Cook visited Apple's store in Shanghai and met Chinese game developers and the designer of the popular Labubu dolls, he said in posts on China's social media platform Weibo.
On Monday (October 13), he said the iPhone Air would be available for pre-order in China after the industry ministry cleared the way for major telecom operators to support its eSIM functionality.
"The business community has always been a stabiliser of China-US relations and a promoter of pragmatic cooperation," said China's Ambassador to the US Xie Feng during an event in Washington on Tuesday.
He noted that many US companies have "chosen China" and are benefiting both countries.
