Apple’s CEO Tim Cook vows to boost Chinese investment amid trade tensions

Tim Cook, CEO Apple Inc., has pledged to increase investment in the country during a high-profile visit to Beijing.

On Wednesday, October 15, Cook and the Minister of Industry and Information Technology of China, Li Lecheng, held a meeting in Beijing, during which the two parties discussed the further development of the cooperation between Apple and Chinese suppliers, as it was stated on the official WeChat account of the ministry.

As per ministry’s official statement, Cook told Li that, “Apple will boost investment in China and further step up cooperation.”

Although no specific figures were released, the move characterized the strategic balancing act of Apple between global geopolitical risks on the one hand, and overseas manufacturing and consumer bases on the other hand.

The visit comes at a sensitive time as the U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening to impose new tariffs on the U.S. companies, which use foreign manufacturing, such as Apple.

In response, the Cupertino-based firm has committed to increasing its investment in the United States to $600 billion over the next four years in an effort to mitigate the impact of potential import tariffs on products made in China and India.

Still, China remains an indispensable part of Apple’s global operations due to its dual significance as a major consumer market and a core manufacturing hub.

During the visit, Minister Li encouraged the tech company to “work closely with local suppliers” and said China would continue fostering a favourable business environment for foreign firms like Apple.

Minister Li urged the tech company to "work closely with local suppliers" and said China would continue fostering a favorable business environment for foreign firms like Apple.

During his visit, Cook also visited Apple’s flagship store in Shanghai and met with local game developers and the designer of the popular Labubu dolls. 

He documented parts of the visit on China’s Weibo platform, highlighting Apple’s strong ties to local culture and the developer ecosystem.

On Monday, Cook announced that the newly unveiled iPhone Air would soon be available for pre-order in China, following regulatory clearance for domestic telecom operators to support its eSIM functionality.

In 2025, Cook visited China twice. Previously, in March, Apple announced a 720 million yuan ($101 million) clear energy fund to support the renewable goals of China.

This move highlighted Apple’s long-term commitment to sustainability in the region. In short, despite ongoing trade uncertainties, Cook’s visit to China underlines Apple’s intent to maintain and expand its presence in China as it is a market too critical to ignore as the global tech landscape continues to shift.