If tensions remain high between the Biden administration and the power of XI Jinping, this is not the case between Apple and the People’s Republic. “It’s a kind of symbiotic relationship that I believe we’ve both benefited from”, said Tim Cook, his boss, on Saturday, visiting China to attend the China Development Forum. This event is organized by the Chinese state, high government officials and personalities from the entrepreneurial sector participated. “Apple and China have grown together”underlined Tim Cook during an interview on the role of technology in education.
The word symbiosis was not chosen at random. According to its definition, it designates a close association of two or more different organisms, mutually beneficial, even essential to their survival.
Supply chain threats
Tim Cook’s speech comes as Apple, the world’s largest company by market capitalization, seeks to transfer production activities out of China. Sales of Apple products were penalized in 2022 by production limitations in factories due to China’s so-called “zero Covid” policy.
US controls on exports of high-tech components also threaten the Apple brand’s supply chain. A subject that Tim Cook did not discuss during this exchange. On the other hand, the boss of Apple stressed the need to bridge the gap in education between schools in urban and rural areas. And he also encouraged young people to learn programming and develop their critical thinking. In particular, he promised to increase to 100 million yuan (13.5 million euros) the expenditure of Apple allocated to its educational program in rural areas of China.
He visited an Apple Store in downtown Beijing on Friday, taking a selfie with singer Huang Ling that went viral on Chinese social media.
(with AFP)
