Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, was warmly received by the audience at a conference sponsored by the Chinese government amid tensions between China and the United States.
Cook told the China Development Forum he was thrilled to be back in China, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal. It means the world to me and I feel really blessed to be here. Cook, who was making his first trip to China since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic, gave an upbeat speech that was well received by the audience, with Cook telling those in attendance that Apple and China have grown together over three decades.
Cook said that the company and the country have benefited from the relationships because of the fact that Apple depends on China as both a hub for manufacturing and a growing base of consumers for its products.
Cook said that this has been a symbiotic relationship that we have both enjoyed.
Cook answered questions about his support for education efforts run by the China Development Research Foundation, with Cook committing 100 million yuan, equivalent to about $14.6 million, to help fund the foundation's educational projects.
Cook is one of dozens of American and other foreign executives to appear at the conference, which comes at a time of increased tensions between China and the West. In recent months, high-ranking American officials have held off from visiting China, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a February trip to Beijing in response to an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon that was recently detected floating across the continental United States.
It comes after executives for another high-profile tech company, TikTok, sparred with American lawmakers during testimony on Thursday.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew faced a barrage of questions from Democrats and Republicans about his company, which is based out of China, with the social media platform accusing lawmakers of political grandstanding.