The world’s largest iPhone factory, located in China and run by Foxconn, faced disruptions in 2022. That is expected to impact Apple’s December quarter results. Meanwhile, analysts have questioned Chinese consumer demand for the iPhone 14.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook used his first public remarks during his visit to China on Saturday to praise the country for its rapid innovation and longstanding ties with the US iPhone maker, according to local media.
Cook is in Beijing to attend the China Development Forum, a government-sponsored event held again in full force after the country ended its Covid controls late last year.
Besides Cook, the event brings together senior government officials as well as CEOs of companies such as Pfizer and BHP.
“Innovation is growing rapidly in China and I think it will accelerate further,” Cook said, as quoted by The Paper newspaper.
His visit comes at a time of growing tensions between Beijing and Washington and as Apple seeks to reduce its supply chain’s dependence on China and shift production to new emerging hubs such as China. ‘India.
Last year, production at the world’s largest iPhone factory run by Apple supplier Foxconn was severely disrupted after China’s zero Covid policies fueled worker unrest.
Cook also visited an Apple Store in Beijing on Friday, photos of which have gone viral on Chinese social media.
During his speech, Cook also touched on education and the need for young people to learn programming critical thinking skills, announcing that Apple plans to increase spending on its rural education program to 100 million yuan, according to local media.