Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Apple CEO Tim Cook suddenly appeared in China and met top government official Xi Jinping. During the meeting, Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Ding Duexiang asked Apple’s big boss to increase investment in China.
Cook surprised the public with his visit to Beijing, less than a month after the launch of the iPhone 15 in the Chinese market.
It appeared in China at a time when competition for premium cellphone customers was heating up with the emergence of premium cellphones made by Huawei which reportedly used locally made chips.
In addition, the Chinese government, which is Apple’s third largest market, is tightening regulations regarding applications for security reasons.
Sales research institute, Counterpoint Research, stated that sales of the iPhone 15 in China during the 17 days after launch fell 4.5 percent compared to sales of the iPhone 14.
One of the news from China that made Apple wary about selling the iPhone 15 was the restriction on the use of iPhones for Chinese civil servants. Several central government civil servants are said to have received instructions not to use devices made by Apple in government offices.
“China is willing to provide more opportunities for foreign capital companies, including Apple, to develop domestically,” Ding told Cook, as quoted by China’s public radio.
Cook said Apple believes in the prospects of the Chinese market and is ready to strengthen cooperation with China.
The business fields that Apple is targeting in China include the high-end product manufacturing industry and the digital economy.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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Originally posted 2023-10-23 06:20:00.