Tim Cook Heads Back to China as Retail Presence Nearly Doubles

Bloomberg reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook is in the midst of a return trip to China, some ten months after his last trip to meet with government and business leaders.

Cook today met Miao Wei, head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, to talk about the development of China’s information technology industry, global mobile communications and Apple’s business in China, according to a statement posted on the ministry’s website.

The report notes that Apple has nearly doubled the number of its retail stores in China and Hong Kong since Cook's last visit, having opened five new stores for a total of 11 company-owned stores in the region.

apple store wangfujing
Apple's new Wangfujing retail store in Beijing

Cook's schedule for the remainder of his visit has not been released, although The Next Web notes that U.S. embassy Chief of Staff Jim Scuitto posted a Tweet revealing that Cook had met with U.S. ambassador Gary Locke.

There will also undoubtedly be speculation that Cook may be seeking to finalize an iPhone deal with China Mobile, the world's largest carrier and the only one of China's three major state-owned carrier to not officially offer the device. Cook had visited the carrier's headquarters in June 2011, but no deal has yet been announced amid continuing negotiations.

China Mobile is reportedly losing traction with 3G customers as rivals China Telecom and China Unicom have made inroads, with many believing that China Mobile's lack of the iPhone is a major weakness for the carrier.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...

Top Rated Comments

MonkeySee.... Avatar
160 months ago
The picture of the Wangfujing retail store in Beijing is stunning.

What a store! :eek:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JHankwitz Avatar
160 months ago
Makes sure those Foxconn workers are being treated properly while you're there Timmy.

On average, 11,000 workers are injured and 13 are killed on the job every day in America according to OSHA, and you're concerned that Tim Cook is personally making sure that Foxconn workers are being treated properly? Good grief!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bazinga!! Avatar
160 months ago
China Mobile=
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Prof. Avatar
160 months ago
I wonder why that iPad billboard is in english...
Because China has more english-speaking citizens than America has citizens.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glassed Silver Avatar
160 months ago
I wonder why that iPad billboard is in english...

Pretty much anyone able to afford the iPad in China knows English.
Either as mother tongue, tourist or "rich kid" (in relation to the rest of China).

Glassed Silver:mac
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AidenShaw Avatar
160 months ago
[url=http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/171/dsc0112sw.jpg]Image (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/703/dsc0112sw.jpg/)[/URL]

[url=http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/5941/dsc0129op.jpg]Image (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/198/dsc0129op.jpg/)[/URL]

Am I the only one who looks at that as a failed attempt at using traditional Chinese architecture with Apple's tired "it's all glass" look, marred with a "Times Squarish" giant LED ad screen.

It's horrible. It's truly dreadful. Apple has lost its way....

The night shot is kind of cool though - since all the other crap disappears.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)