Skip to main content

Apple CEO Tim Cook meets with China's Vice-Premier to discuss intellectual property and worker treatment

Apple CEO Tim Cook meets with China's Vice-Premier to discuss intellectual property and worker treatment

/

We heard a few days ago that Apple CEO Tim Cook was having meetings with Chinese officials, and now we're starting to get more details on the substance of Cook's business in China. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Cook met with Li Keqiang, China's Executive Vice-Premier, to discuss greater cooperation between China and Apple as well as the intellectual property issues.

Share this story

cook apple logo big
cook apple logo big

We heard a few days ago that Apple CEO Tim Cook was having meetings with Chinese officials, and now we're starting to get more details on the substance of Cook's business in China. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Cook met with Li Keqiang, China's Executive Vice-Premier, to discuss greater cooperation between China and Apple as well as the intellectual property issues, like Proview's lawsuit against Apple over the iPad trademark. However, China state media reports say that Cook and Li didn't discuss the Proview case specifically. Li also requested the help of international companies in developing the western parts of China — currently, most manufacturing and investment goes to the southern and coastal parts of the country.

The state-run Xinhua news service also noted that Li said multinational companies like Apple should pay more attention to caring for workers in other countries, to which Cook reportedly said that Apple will act in a "law-abiding and honest manner." These meetings only reiterate the massive importance Apple sees in China for its business going forward, and Apple has already said this week that it expects to increase its investment in the country. However, the company had no comment on the details behind Cook's specific meetings.