Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who oversees economic and trade negotiations, met with Apple Board Chair Tim Cook, emphasizing the implementation of agreements made by the leaders of the US and China and calling for deeper bilateral cooperation.

According to Chinese state-run media outlets such as Xinhua News Agency on today (the 13th), Vice Premier He met with Cook yesterday afternoon at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

He stated at the meeting, "Faithfully implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state and building a constructive, strategically stable US-China relationship based on mutual respect, fairness, and parity will benefit the stability and development of both countries as well as the global economy."

He added, "This will provide multinational corporations with stable prospects and a favorable business environment. We welcome Apple and tech companies from various countries to continuously deepen mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation with China, and share the development opportunities of Chinese modernization."

In response, Cook expressed confidence in Apple's long-term development in China, responding that he would serve as a communication bridge for the business community to contribute further to the stable and healthy development of US-China economic and trade relations.

This visit marks Cook's first trip to China since stepping down as Apple's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) last month.

Apple announced a management reshuffle plan in April, appointing John Ternus, formerly senior vice president of hardware engineering, as the new CEO, and officially completed the leadership transition on September 1.

Chinese economic chief Vice Premier He Lifeng's decision to directly meet Cook, who has stepped away from frontline management, is interpreted as a move recognizing that Cook still retains influence as a key communication channel between the US and Chinese business communities.


Indeed, even after moving to his role as executive chair of Apple's board of directors, Cook continues to handle certain responsibilities, including communication with policymakers around the world.

On September 24, he also attended a state dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House in Washington, D.C.

The dinner was attended by heads of major US tech companies, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and AMD CEO Lisa Su.

(Photo: Getty Images)