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

[MacRumors]

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).

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.

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

 

[everlast3434]

Is this the best pic you could get? Lol

 

[SW3029]

Apple is being very smart. It knows China will (obviously) outlast Trump.

 

[infiniteentropy]

Kiss the ring. Good boy.

- President Xi, probably

 

[GraXXoR]

richbro looks gaunt af... wide angle closeups do NOT flatter.

 

[lkrupp]

What will Cook do when, not if, China takes Taiwan by force?

 

[coffeemilktea]

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.

I wonder if Apple will really ramp up manufacturing in those countries (and India) to get around tariffs? Seems like it'd be the obvious move, even if I doubt it'd be easy to move all those manufacturing operations so fast. 🤔

 

[CharlesShaw]

His schedule and job pressures sure put my week of eating and streaming tv shows into perspective.

 

[shinkansenwarrior]

Yeah he looks ghosted .... something is off..... Time and Tim not gelling well or maybe freak photo at wrong angle with light washing out the colours.

 

[MacManiac1]

Bring jobs to the USA and you don’t have to worry about tariffs.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Meh. When is he going to announce his namesake and passion project, Apple iCook meal kits?

 

[WarmWinterHat]

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.

 

[avz]

Apple is being very smart. It knows China will (obviously) outlast Trump.

The real question is will China's economic miracle outlast Bretton Woods institutions?

 

[CharlesShaw]

Yeah he looks ghosted .... something is off..... Time and Tim not gelling well or maybe freak photo at wrong angle with light washing out the colours.

Freak photos are more the norm when we get older. How about we all share photos of our nerdy selves in our mid sixties taken in airport lighting by a random "reporter" after a very along flight, just for comparison.

 

[Plutonius]

Apple is being very smart. It knows China will (obviously) outlast Trump.

Since a president is elected for up to 8 years, almost all countries should outlast all presidents .

This meeting between Apple and China was probably scheduled some time ago.

Since the US administration is changing, this is probably just turning into a PR trip for Apple.

 

[Tago]

Place your bet on all horses and you most certainly will pick a winner.

 

[Tago]

Since a president is elected for up to 8 years, almost all countries should outlast presidents .

This meeting between Apple and China was probably scheduled some time ago.

Since the US administration is changing, this is probably just turning into a PR trip for Apple.

There was some minor adjustments to number of periods et cetera before the present boss got his go ahead for this period, he will probably be around for quite some time, health permits. If there is an opposition to the present leader, it would be single individuals not even considering confiding in anyone, And I do mean anyone.

 

[sw1tcher]

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.

One of those Chinese partners Tim Cook is referring to must be Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry. Without them, Apple would not be able to hand over all the data they have on their Chinese users to the CCP

Apple hands Chinese iCloud to Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry

Doing business in China means keeping everything in Chinese hands behind the great firewall

www.theregister.com

Apple has announced it will hand over iCloud operations in China to government-owned local partner Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry (GBCD) on February 28.

Apple has made the move to comply with Chinese government policy, that demands domestic operators own foreign services' data centres so that data on Chinese citizens is stored within the country.

 

[I7guy]

One of those Chinese partners Tim Cook is referring to must be Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry. Without them, Apple would not be able to hand over all the data they have on their Chinese users to the CCP

Apple hands Chinese iCloud to Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry

Doing business in China means keeping everything in Chinese hands behind the great firewall

www.theregister.com

Apple has announced it will hand over iCloud operations in China to government-owned local partner Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry (GBCD) on February 28.

Apple has made the move to comply with Chinese government policy, that demands domestic operators own foreign services' data centres so that data on Chinese citizens is stored within the country.

People keep reminding us that apple follows all local laws — even if they personally are not a fan of those laws.

 

[CapitalIdea]

What will Cook do when, not if, China takes Taiwan by force?

Nothing, because if it happens the US has a far more fundamental issue.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Freak photos are more the norm when we get older. How about we all share photos of our nerdy selves in our mid sixties taken in airport lighting by a random "reporter" after a very along flight, just for comparison.

As Tim just turned 64 earlier this month, he should be smooth and glowing like a youngster. It will all fall apart next year when he hits 65.

 

[CapitalIdea]

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.

 

[Tago]

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.

Yeah, Walmart and Amazon are truly impressive. Tinytown assassins. While at it, let the likes of Microsoft and Apple avoid taxes by low tax profit centers like Ireland and Holland, and let them keep their profits untaxed abroad. Any American working abroad is obliged to pay the difference between their local tax and the US tax for that salary to US coffers. Not really how it works for corporations.

But if you guys DO want the production to come home, and get a decent paycheck out of it, you better start working on improving the general level labor skills/qualifications significantly. You are in the same dire streets as UK are. Better have a look at Germany, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries for clues. Some of the former eastern block countries are getting a lot closer, like Poland and Czechia++

 

[IIGS User]

I think the Apple, under Tim, would completely drop the US before he dropped China.

This would be corporate suicide for Apple. Especially looking at the outcome of the last election.

Not putting my political viewpoints out there, but the US has shifted politically in the past few years. Of course it will shift back and forth as it always does.

But for Apple to "completely drop the US" before dropping China would be the end of Apple.

 

[lkrupp]

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.

Exactly. Put two shirts on the table, one made in Vietnam for $20, the other made in the U.S. by union garment workers for $80. People like MacManiac1 will choose the foreign made $20 shirt every time but still claim manufacturing should come back to the U.S. And they drive Hyundai cars to boot. And they would never buy a $2K iPhone either.

American made shirts