Apple CEO Tim Cook is visiting Shanghai for the opening of Apple Jing’an, and he has taken the opportunity to promote Apple in China, while also talking up the company’s long relationship with the country.
Apple Jing’an is the company’s eighth store in Shanghai, and it is scheduled to open on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
China Daily reports that Cook told the publication that “there’s no supply chain in the world that’s more critical to us than China.”
While Apple has admittedly made moves away from its dependence on the country, Cook is said to have emphasized that Apple’s nearly 30-year relationship with China is going to continue into the future.
“We’ve been building up and investing more and more,” he said. “Today’s factories are so much more modern… and in 10 years from now, we will keep advancing.”
Cook took the opportunity to meet with several Chinese suppliers in Apple’s Shanghai office, including BYD, Lens and Everwin. The companies each presented product exhibitions.
Cook posted to his Weibo page, where he wrote about touring the city. He also mentioned his breakfast with popular Chinese actor Zheng Kai. Bloomberg reports that a video accompanying the post was viewed by a half a million people within minutes.