Apple’s Cook Pledges Deeper Investment, Cooperation in China

Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged to boost investment and deepen cooperation in China, the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said after his meeting with Minister Li Lecheng in Beijing on Wednesday.

The discussions come as Apple seeks to navigate U.S. tariffs on products from major production hubs like China and India, while also expanding its planned $600 billion U.S. investment over the next four years.

Li expressed hope that Apple would continue to explore the Chinese market, pledging that Beijing would maintain a favorable environment for foreign businesses. No details were provided on the scale of Apple’s new investment.

During his visit, Cook toured Apple’s Shanghai store and met local game developers and designers, including the creator of the popular Labubu dolls, according to his posts on Weibo. He also confirmed that the new iPhone Air will soon be available for pre-order in China following approval for eSIM support.

Apple previously announced a 720 million yuan ($101 million) clean energy fund in China during Cook’s March visit.