Tim Cook praises China, calls its relationship with Apple "symbiotic"

[midian182]

What just happened? Between chip-related export controls and tensions over Taiwan, relations between the US and China are at a nadir, but that hasn't stopped many top tech executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, from singing the country's praises at the 2023 China Development Forum.

Cook was one of the more than 50 chief senior executives and government officials from around the world to attend the government-organized event in Beijing, the first since its suspension due to the Covid outbreak. The Wall Street Journal reports that Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon was also an attendee, as were execs from Samsung, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Mercedes-Benz, Shell, and many more.

China remains a major market for Apple. Despite iPhone sales being down from the prior year, overall sales from China made up $23.9 billion of Apple's revenue last quarter. "Innovation is developing rapidly in China and I believe it will further accelerate," Cook was quoted by The Paper news outlet. "Apple and China [...] grew together and so this has been a symbiotic kind of relationship."

Cook also announced that Apple was increasing its donations to the China Development Research Foundation to $14.5 million, half of which will fund digital technology education in underdeveloped areas of China.

"We are honored to deepen our understanding of Chinese education, support for careers and create opportunities for young learners in rural areas," Cook reportedly said.

With the Covid disruptions and rising tensions with the US, Apple has been trying to lessen its reliance on China for years – the country accounted for 95.3% of Cupertino's global manufacturing operations in 2021. The pandemic saw Apple move some iPhone manufacturing to India in 2022, the same year that the controversial Covid restrictions caused walkouts at Foxconn's Zhengzhou plant, resulting in a shortfall of iPhone 14 units.

Cook also used his speech to talk about education and the need for young people to learn programming and critical thinking skills. The Apple boss visited Apple stores in the country during his stay, much to the delight of Chinese social media.

Apple has a history of appearing to kowtow to the Chinese government, having previously removed thousands of games, apps, and VPNs from its App Store at the behest of local officials. It also purged a protest app and the Quartz news app during the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests.

A report in 2021 claimed Cook signed a secret $275 billion investment deal with China to help Apple succeed in the country.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/98084-tim-cook-praises-china-calls-relationship-apple-symbiotic.html

 

[VariableSpike]

I wonder what the Chinese gov gave them this time in concessions or similar for him to shower such praise, it's easy to praise a country when they actively let you use an underpaid workforce en masse to make your product that you then sell with massive margins....

 

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Well, of course they do...

 

[RudyBob]

Sing for your supper

 

[m4a4]

How tone deaf lol

But that's been Apple for a while now for anyone paying attention...

 

[Uncle Al]

Well then lets just pack his happy a** up and send him over there to live ..... good riddance!

 

[VoidTheWarranty]

Nothing says the joys of capitalism like funding a countries military industrial complex, tech sector, and slave labour from their concentration camps. Corporate Murican Values y'all.

 

[McKocoa]

China's emerging middle class is larger than the entire US population. Companies will happily sell and mortgage their ethics, morals, and values in order to even have access to that market. Pretty gross stuff

 

[psycros]

China's emerging middle class is larger than the entire US population. Companies will happily sell and mortgage their ethics, morals, and values in order to even have access to that market. Pretty gross stuff

Most of the Chinese middle class couldn't afford Apple's products. "Middle class" in China is the west's lower class in terms of buying power. China devalues its currency to keep the flow of trade one-sided.

 

[McKocoa]

Most of the Chinese middle class couldn't afford Apple's products. "Middle class" in China is the west's lower class in terms of buying power. China devalues its currency to keep the flow of trade one-sided.

China is the world's biggest smartphone market, Apple continues to a make a play to be dominant in China. And there is no question of a rising middleclass in China while the middle class shrinks in the US.

 

[Kirby1]

Apple doesn't make anything that China can use for servers or super computers or anything like that, so he's right. A company that makes expensive luxury phones is a good fit for China.

 

[Alfatawi Mendel]

How patriotic of Tim Apple.

 

[kinetix]

Nothing says the joys of capitalism like funding a countries military industrial complex, tech sector, and slave labour from their concentration camps. Corporate Murican Values y'all.

kind of .u.s pictured

 

[wiyosaya]

Translation: China is making me a rich mofo. Why on Earth would I give a crap about my fellow countrymen?

 

[Avro Arrow]

Yep, a corporation will gladly praise dictatorial governments as long as its financially expedient to do so.

 

[p51d007]

The ONLY thing Cook cares about is the Apple STOCK price.
And he will keep it high, no matter what!

 

[daffy duck]

Thanks Tim for reinforcing my views of what a bunch or parasites and oxygen thieves billionaire's are. You have just graduated to the Zuckerberg-Musk-Bezo Academy of lowlifes.

 

[ID10T]

Yet ya'll keep trusting the experts mainstream media and big Pharma, most institutions have been captured by corporate interests, certainly trust when they demonize a group or individual, know that they only have your safety and best interests at heart and definitely not just using power and influences to crush mortal enemies or anyone who's actually trying to help you.
Government was shown without a doubt to have bee colluding with Social Media to censor citizens, fascism in all of its glory yet many are still fast asleep.

 

[JamesBlond]

Sing for your supper

Tim Cook wants the USA to become communist like China.... he will sing like a parrot all the words of praise for his masters

 

[Puckmanoz]

Settle down it was a token press stunt and stop stressing about china. Just research its demographs to understand that country is about to fall of a cliff.

 

[masaaya4]

Yet ya'll keep trusting the experts mainstream media and big Pharma, most institutions have been captured by corporate interests, certainly trust when they demonize a group or individual, know that they only have your safety and best interests at heart and definitely not just using power and influences to crush mortal enemies or anyone who's actually trying to help you.
Government was shown without a doubt to have bee colluding with Social Media to censor citizens, fascism in all of its glory yet many are still fast asleep.

when Europe gets ridiculed and criticized for throwing lawsuits left right and centre towards big corporations, keep in mind that the EU is actually trying to do something against the big corps trying to lobby to have control over everything.

EU is not perfect at all, but it is not completely hopeless. keep this in mind next time the EU fines Apple 500M € for something.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Thanks Tim for reinforcing my views of what a bunch or parasites and oxygen thieves billionaire's are. You have just graduated to the Zuckerberg-Musk-Bezo Academy of lowlifes.

The way Apple operates is far more revealing as to what a piece of trash he is.

 

[Bamda]

And now that AI is going to replace American jobs the future for the USA future looks brighter by the day. I hear McDonald's is hiring!

 

[wiyosaya]

And now that AI is going to replace American jobs the future for the USA future looks brighter by the day. I hear McDonald's is hiring!

The only people that are going to be replaced by AI are those that think AI will make them smart - then have no access to AI on their interviews.

 

[Gezzer]

Capitalism makes for some strange bedfellows. It isn't that Apple or Tim Cook approve of China. It's the fact that there's profit in China. And Apple like many international companies have one mantra "Profit is King". Everything else is a secondary consideration. Every. Thing. Else...