Apple CEO Tim Cook participated in a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and executives from global companies to discuss trade and supply chain issues amid economic instability in the communist country.
bloomberg report On Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that he participated in a high-level summit with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and more than 20 business leaders from around the world. The meeting, held during Cook's third visit to China this year, focused on addressing potential trade disruptions and economic uncertainty facing global companies operating in the country.
State media reported that the summit brought together leaders from a variety of industries, including mining giant Rio Tinto, specialty glass maker Corning and Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokpan Group. Chinese company leaders also attended, including the heads of tech giant Lenovo and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).
Breitbart News has reported extensively on Apple's ties to China, including a secret $275 billion deal Tim Cook made with the Chinese government to avoid a crackdown on the company's business.
The meeting, which lasted more than an hour and involved about 20 executives, was the first high-level meeting between a foreign company and a Chinese government official since Donald Trump won a second four-year term. A meeting ensued. Businesses around the world are bracing for the president-elect's threat to increase tariffs on Chinese goods. A gathering of business leaders ahead of the supply chain expo in Beijing starting Tuesday.
The meeting felt fairly scripted, said a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private events. Premier Li Qiang cited Adam Smith's view that the tendency to truck, barter and exchange is inherent in human nature. Lee also did not mention President Trump or tariffs, but told executives to send any feedback to him and said he would take it seriously.
In a separate report on state-run Xinhua News Agency, Li said the Chinese government opposes decoupling and urged efforts to maintain stability in global supply chains. He also vowed to continue developing China's economy.
The trade disruption is a particular concern for Apple, which makes the majority of its iPhones through Foxconn in China, making the country its biggest market after the United States. In brief remarks on a social media account linked to state broadcaster China Central Television, Cook emphasized the importance of China's supply chain, saying: Our activities would not be possible without them. ”
Other notable attendees at the conference included Thai billionaire Dhanin Cheravanon, Sumitomo Electric Chairman Masayoshi Matsumoto, Contemporary Amperex Technology's Robin Zeng, and TCL Technology Group Chairman Li Dongsheng. etc. were included.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship issues.
