Apple’s Tim Cook pledged to boost the tech giant’s investment in China on Wednesday as it navigates the trade war between Beijing and Washington.
Many U.S. companies have become cautious about relations with China as the world’s two biggest economies clash over tariffs and as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to promote manufacturing in the United States rather than elsewhere.
But Cook told China’s industry minister Li Lecheng the iPhone maker will keep investing in China, according to an official summary of their meeting in Beijing released by the Chinese, although it gave no details of the size of the potential investment. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The California-based company, which has also made investment pledges to Washington, has so far remained relatively unscathed by the trade war between the United States and China. Other companies, such as Nvidia and Qualcomm have found themselves the target of Chinese investigations.
Washington has long placed sanctions on Chinese companies such as Huawei.
Apple’s shipments in China grew 0.6% from a year earlier to 10.8 million units in the third quarter against the backdrop of sluggish demand in China’s smartphone market, according to data research firm IDC.
Boosted by the iPhone 17 series, it was the only brand among China’s three biggest vendors to achieve growth in shipments during the period.
As part of his visit to China this week, Cook visited Apple’s store in Shanghai and met Chinese game developers and the designer of the popular Labubu dolls, he said in posts on China’s X-like Weibo.
