Apple CEO Tim Cook praised China’s significance in the company’s supply chain during his meeting with suppliers, including BYD Electronics, as reported by local media on Wednesday. This visit coincides with a decline in China sales for the iPhone manufacturer.
In a Weibo post, Cook shared his morning experience strolling along Shanghai’s historic Bund river with Chinese actor Zheng Kai and enjoying a local breakfast. However, he did not disclose further details about his itinerary for the visit.
According to the China Daily, Cook emphasized in an interview that “there’s no supply chain in the world that’s more critical to us than China.” During his visit, Cook also met with Wang Chuanfu, the founder and president of Apple supplier BYD Electronics, as well as officials from Lens Technology at the company’s Shanghai office.
Cook’s visit precedes the opening of a new Apple retail store in the heart of Shanghai on Thursday. This move comes as Apple faces challenges such as declining iPhone sales in China and increasing competition from domestic rivals like Huawei.
Last year, Cook visited China at least twice, recognizing it as Apple’s third-largest market by revenue. Around the same time last year, he also visited Beijing, where he toured an Apple store and participated in the China Development Forum.
