Apple CEO Tim Cook Meets with Beijing Mayor, Chinese Vice Premier During Visit

[MacRumors]

Earlier this week, we reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook has shown up in Beijing, posing for photos with customers at the company's Xidan Joy City retail store as part of a trip to meet with unspecified "Chinese officials" as disclosed by an Apple spokesperson.

Over the past several days, media reports have revealed that Cook has been meeting with several government officials in China, with IDG News Service reporting yesterday that Cook had met with Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong to discuss further cooperation.

Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong, who met Cook on Monday afternoon, said he hoped Apple and Beijing could take further steps to deepen the company's cooperation with the capital. Beijing's top schools, rich talent, and market potential, makes the city ideal to develop the IT industry, he added.

The brief report from the Beijing Daily did not elaborate more on Apple's cooperation with Beijing.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (Source: Zuma Press)

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, discussing intellectual property issues and other topics of mutual interest.

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang to discuss intellectual-property issues and greater cooperation, according to state media report. It was the strongest signal yet that the company is strengthening ties in a market it long neglected.

The executive met with Mr. Li, who is expected to be named premier next year, on Tuesday, state radio and television reported. "China will create a good environment for and strengthen the protection of intellectual-property rights for fair competition among various enterprises including foreign and domestic ones, according to the Chinese law," Mr. Li said, according to Wednesday's report.

With intellectual property issues being one of the highlighted topics of discussion between Cook and Li, it seems likely that the two addressed the ongoing iPad trademark dispute that has seen Proview seeking up to $2 billion from Apple in exchange for the Chinese rights to the name. Apple claims that it already legally acquired the trademark in a broader rights deal and that Proview and its subsidiaries are colluding to extort considerably more money from Apple for the Chinese rights.

Update: Sources have indicated to AllThingsD that Cook also met with executives at China Mobile, the world's largest carrier. Apple has yet to launch the iPhone on the carrier, likely due at least in part due to the need for specialized hardware to run on its 3G network.

Sources say Cook visited China Mobile's Beijing offices, and while they offered no details beyond that, it's not much of a leap to conclude that he was there to talk about the iPhone, which is currently offered by China Mobile rivals China Unicom and China Telecom.

Apple and China Mobile have been in discussions for several years, and Cook was seen at the carrier's headquarters last June, but no deal has yet been struck.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook Meets with Beijing Mayor, Chinese Vice Premier During Visit

[Ceddie77]

Omg, he's wearing a suit!

[lavem]

Much better than that track suit he had on the other day

[Macman45]

This makes perfect commercial sense. China is a fast growing market as well as he foundation for Apples manufacturing process. Meeting with the Premier is a logical step for Apples CEO.

[Koodauw]

Originally Posted by Ceddie77

Omg, he's wearing a suit!

Tim is looking sharp with the glasses and that suit!

[TimAlia]

I miss Steve. There's something fishy about Tim Cook.

[rednic]

Sorry but steve would have been wearing turtle neck and Jeans ... thats what made him so cool.

[JayLenochiniMac]

Wirelessly posted

Good for him. Steve would never suit up.

[3N16MA]

Originally Posted by rednic

Sorry but steve would have been wearing turtle neck and Jeans ... thats what made him so cool.

Tim Cook is not Steve Jobs. I prefer him to be his own person rather than trying to be Steve.

[ajphares]

I always find the pictures where one guy is looking into one camera and the other guy is looking into another camera awkward.

[Amazing Iceman]

Originally Posted by TimAlia

I miss Steve. There's something fishy about Tim Cook.

True! He probably ate Sushi before the photo.

Tim's looking sharp, and the Mayor opened his eyes big and wide.

Tim is trying hard to step into Steve's shoes to gain Apple's fans' approval.

To many people, Steve Jobs was Apple, and Apple was Steve Jobs.
It's a very difficult concept to change, so anything Tim does is throughly scrutinized and compared to 'what would Steve have done instead'.

At the same time, he's trying to be himself, and not a copy of Steve Jobs.
I'm sure he wants to be respected and remembered for who he is and how he did things after Steve's passing.
I just hope he continues making the right decisions.

[z3r0]

Hopefully Apple will tackle business finally. I'd like to see how they could transform that sector.

Originally Posted by JayLenochiniMac

Wirelessly posted

Good for him. Steve would never suit up.

[Chumburro2U]

hmmmm

[mwxiao]

Looks like Cook knows the way to do biz in China: having a good relationship with the government. I see the iPad trademark issue resolved shortly.

[Hakone]

China's a big booming market and I hear Apple products are more a status symbol (since not everyone can afford a car).

/shrug/

[chirpie]

Originally Posted by Amazing Iceman

True! He probably ate Sushi before the photo.

Tim's looking sharp, and the Mayor opened his eyes big and wide.

Tim is trying hard to step into Steve's shoes to gain Apple's fans' approval.

To many people, Steve Jobs was Apple, and Apple was Steve Jobs.
It's a very difficult concept to change, so anything Tim does is throughly scrutinized and compared to 'what would Steve have done instead'.

At the same time, he's trying to be himself, and not a copy of Steve Jobs.
I'm sure he wants to be respected and remembered for who he is and how he did things after Steve's passing.
I just hope he continues making the right decisions.

It's tricky. For myself, I can't help but feel this type of stuff is more typical of regular companies. I like Tim, I like how things are going so far, but I hope they know that trying a few bold 'hungry' and 'foolish' ideas now and then might be a good idea.

And for the record? All the sushi I've had in China isn't that great. It's better in the states. ^_^;

[FrHa]

Tim Cook looks a bit like UK comedian Paul O'grady in that picture.

[Battlefield Fan]

Originally Posted by Chumburro2U

hmmmm

Those aren't matching ties and they aren't even bow ties!!! Get some glasses!!!

[Anti-Lucifer]

All I can say is:

"Sleeping with the Enemy!"

[briantoronto]

No suits to meet AT&T, but a suit to meet in China. Apple knows where the growth is.

[vincenz]

Spiffy!

Originally Posted by Battlefield Fan

Those aren't matching ties and they aren't even bow ties!!! Get some glasses!!!

Yep, and Tim Cook's tie (American style) runs right shoulder -> left side. The Chinese VP wears the Euro style left shoulder -> right side.

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by rednic

Sorry but steve would have been wearing turtle neck and Jeans ... thats what made him so cool.

Er so what would Steve have said about Jony Ive at the White House in a tuxedo. Is that uncool too? Considering the setting I think it was appropriate for Cook to be in a suit and tie.

[CuteBaby]

Originally Posted by chirpie

And for the record? All the sushi I've had in China isn't that great. It's better in the states. ^_^;

Sushi is Japanese cuisine, not Chinese.

[zoetmb]

Originally Posted by rednic

Sorry but steve would have been wearing turtle neck and Jeans ... thats what made him so cool.

Steve Jobs was an incredible, amazing genius who can never be replaced, but his need to wear exactly the same outfit every day bordered on an anal-compulsive disorder. There's a time and place for everything and when one meets with the leaders of a foreign country, it's appropriate to wear a business suit.

But what I find interesting about this Tim Cook meeting is that if you replace Tim Cook's name with Barack Obama or any senior member of the administration, it still sounds perfectly reasonable. So I use this to conclude that Apple is eventually going to take over the U.S. Government (with or without China) because between them, they practically own the U.S. anyway.

[chirpie]

Originally Posted by CuteBaby

Sushi is Japanese cuisine, not Chinese.

Believe it or not, Sushi existed in China before Japan. But it was nothing like the sushi we know today.

I just always found it surprising that visiting a city like Shanghai (Port city, Asian continent) usually had substandard dining offerings for my favorite cuisine.